Sydney publicans say they fear a second coronavirus shutdown following the Crossroads Hotel outbreak but visits to venues across the city show not everyone is following the government's COVID-19 requirements.
The Herald visited 15 pubs across Sydney's inner-west, the inner city and the north shore on Tuesday night to evaluate whether safety measures were being followed.
The window of Calaveras Mexican Cantina and Tequila Bar in Newtown.Credit:Jessica Hromas
Three of 15 venues did not take personal details. Under NSW government requirements which came into effect on July 1, pubs are required to keep contact details from at least one member of each group of customers inside their pub for at least 28 days.
From Friday tougher compliance measures will come into effect for pubs including reducing group bookings from 20 to 10 and dedicated "hygiene marshals" who will patrol venues.
Requirements to record patron details will also be strengthened from Friday after concerns were raised by many patrons who visited the Crossroads Hotel saying they were only asked to leave details when they approached the bar.
On Tuesday night that system was being used at the Glebe Hotel and Websters Bar in Newtown, with those playing poker machines or those who had meals and drinks bought for them not signed in.
At Harpoon Harry in Surry Hills, a sign-in desk was at one entry point, despite patrons entering via multiple doors.
Other venues, such as Hotel Centennial in Woollahra, which had reportedly not been signing patrons in over the last week, said on Tuesday night they had started again due to the Crossroads cluster.
Of those venues that complied, measures ranged from a pen-and-paper system to other venues requiring patrons to declare they are not suffering flu-like symptoms via their mobile phone.
Harriet Clarke, the manager of Calaveras tequila bar at Newtown, said the industry is seriously concerned about a second lockdown after the Crossroads outbreak. Wests League Club in Leumeah and Macarthur Tavern in Campbelltown were forced to shut overnight after infected patrons visited the venues on July 11.
Manager of Calaveras tequila bar Harriet Clarke said the industry is seriously concerned about a second closure.Credit:Jessica Hromas
At Calaveras, patrons were stopped before walking in and told to write down their details on a notepad.
"You don't know where people have been, even with cases that have arrived in NSW, you don't know whether the person who was at The Star whether they've then come here," Ms Clarke said.
"We are [worried about a second closure]. We've actually been talking about it today. I'm part of the Sydney Bartender Exchange online which is like a Facebook group and everyone is putting on their comments on there and yeah it is a worry because you don't know where people have been."
At The Bank in Newtown, patrons are not allowed to enter without sanitising their hands and logging in their details via a website.
Narrabeen resident Zac Gallen, 23, who was visiting The Bank on Tuesday night after work, said safety measures across pubs in Sydney added a sense of false security.
At The Bank in Newtown, patrons must sanitise their hands and log in via a website.Credit:Jessica Hromas
"The measures they put in place make me feel safer, but they also bring to my attention what they could be doing more," he said.
"So coming in, the signing in and the sanitiser, but then the pen I used to sign in isn't sanitised ... I think the measures go to show there is a bit more we could be doing."
Mr Gallen's colleague, Newtown resident Hamen Gupta, 29, said while it was ideal The Bank had strict COVID-19 rules, the app should also be assisting venues with contact tracing.
"You can social distance as much as you want but if it is airborne in an indoor setting, there is no getting away from it," he said. "You can't stop living your life at the end of the day."
At the Frisco Hotel in Woolloomooloo, Queen Chow in Enmore and the Surry Hills Hotel, patrons were not met at the door but instead asked to sign in by bar staff after entering.
Restrictions were heavy at the Greengate Hotel in Killara with alternative entry and exit points blocked off by gates to ensure patrons were met at the front door by security staff.
Ashfield resident Bonnie Hudson, 40, was having farewell drinks with friends on Tuesday before a previously planned move to Melbourne.
"In Sydney, it feels pretty safe," she said. "It's nice to have these last moments where you can have a drink and not be too concerned about it."
Her friend, Bondi resident Elmar Kert, 30, said he had been staying at home for the last two months and the visit to the pub was a rare event.
"This is an extraordinary occasion where I just wanted to say goodbye to a friend," he said. "I think people have been sticking to the things they've put in place and generally, I feel safe."
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Sarah is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2020-07-15 05:35:00Z
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