Podcasts Other The Mike Hosking Breakfast Julie White: Hospitality sector says level two restrictions harming country

Julie White: Hospitality sector says level two restrictions harming country

Published: Aug. 23, 2020, 10:36 p.m.

The hospitality industry is hopeful for a move in alert levels today.
The Auckland Business Chamber has conducted a survey of the economic health of 1000 businesses during the city's current Level 3 restrictions which relegates retail stores and hospitality establishments to delivery and pickup trade only.
The survey revealed 18 per cent of businesses indicated they could not survive a further lockdown, 28 per cent said they could manage just one more, and 24 per cent indicated two more.
Hospitality New Zealand CEO Julie White told Mike Hosking that the industry is split between two different alert levels, and those outside of Auckland want to go down.
"We need them to make some sensible decisions and get the rest of the country to level one. 
"It just doesn't make any sense to lock everyone down under level two because of Auckland."
She says that she has had members ringing her with horror stories - including one cafe in Wellington that took just $14 during the weekend. 
If the alert levels don't change, White says that the Government will need to support the industry.