By Jamie Salter
Berwick hospitality businesses are currently dealing with staffing shortages as the Omicron Covid-19 variant spreads across Victoria.
The state recorded 21,997 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday 5 January – compared to just 5,091 cases recorded a week prior.
Close contacts of someone who has received a positive Covid-19 test result are required to quarantine for seven days, leaving local cafes and restaurants without staff for an extended period.
Mush Rahaman, the owner of La Baguette cafe in Berwick Village said half of his staff members have been unable to return to work.
“We have lost some staff – some of them haven’t got the virus but they are scared of infecting their families,” he said.
“The good thing is that customers are coming out but for a small business we don’t have the flexibility to have a lot of staff on and we try to keep staff limited to give everyone enough hours.
“Right now there is no guarantee we will stay open but we have to be optimistic and just move on.
“It’s hard but at the same time there’s nothing I can do.”
Berwick’s House of Burgers owner Shoheli Sumjida said businesses were suffering.
“I was talking to other business owners and people will be closing their businesses more now than the last two years – without getting any government support,” she said.
Ms Sumjida has just come out of isolation herself and had to shut her business for two weeks.
“We have about 12 staff and if any staff members get sick we might have to close again because we don’t have enough people,” she said.
“It should be busy but we have to keep the online orders off because we don’t have enough staff.”
Businesses continue to cope with a lack of backpackers and foreign workers who are often willing to work in hospitality during their stay in the country.
Berwick’s Four Figs manager Jarrad Futherland said it has been a trying time for the cafe.
“None of our staff have been positive but about 10 staff out of a team of 17 have been close contacts and have had to isolate,” he said.
“If we have even one more person call in to quarantine we would have to close and just offer takeaway – we’re prepared to do it but it’s really not worth it.”
Mr Futherland has been creating a roster day by day and has had to call past staff members to help keep the business running.
“We opened on Tuesday and each day has been flat out busy with a lot of people not back to work yet,” he said.
“I’ve got about three people who have done their sixth day test – they’re all waiting for results.
“We understand the situation but it’s frustrating.”
As of Friday 7 January, people who test positive on a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) will be considered probable cases and be subject to the same requirements as confirmed cases from a PCR test – they must isolate immediately for seven days and notify their contacts.
The change means Victorians won’t have to line up to get a PCR test and wait for their result to be diagnosed with Covid-19.
Density limits of one person per two square metres will also be introduced indoors at hospitality venues, including restaurants, cafés, pubs and nightclubs.
