The Restaurant Operators’ Association of Zimbabwe (ROAZ) says the latest Covid-19 containment measures, which kick in today, have a negative effect on their operations.
The sector has been allowed to continue their business albeit working a few hours as well as a limited number of sit-in customers.
ROAZ president Bongai Zamchiya said restaurants remains vigilant in abiding and controlling the spread of Covid-19, however he complained that the lockdown will affect their operations and sales.
He also added that restaurants were not super spreaders of the Covid-19 pandemic because they always abide and follow all required Covid-19 preventive measures insisting that most of restaurant workers were safe from Covid-19 because they were vaccinated.
“We have been and remain in full support of the national effort to eliminate Covid-19, but as a trade we are now at a crossroads and require a collective rethink.
“Contrary to a common misconception, well-run restaurants are not venues for spreading Covid-19, but are hygienic in concept and operation, posing little if any threat to customers, certainly no greater than any other business or home environment.
“In addition, more than 75 percent of our members have been vaccinated so far and practices of sanitization and social distancing on site and behind the scenes are undertaken in full compliance with law and expectations.”
ROAZ also said the takeaway services, which are still permitted, do not cover a reasonable percentage of operation costs such as wages, rentals, security, refrigeration and some Statutory licenses paid to central and local government.
They have since requested for an urgent re-opening of restaurants and committed to compliance and to support measures of safety.