Is hospitality really to blame for COVID-19?

Recently, the Hospitality Industry has been a very controversial topic in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many believe it has played a massive role in rising cases within the UK, and more specifically Northern Ireland. 

The Hospitality Industry was allowed to resume operating in Northern Ireland on July the 3rd, with the exception of wet bars. As someone who works in the industry, I can attest to the amount of in-depth precautions we were educated on before reopening. From masks before they were mandatory to alarm clocks for regular handwashing. With the additional precautions of strict social distancing and disinfectant procedures.




 I was interested to find out what others thought. So I conducted a poll on the blog's Instagram - (@thatgoodfoodblog) - asking if my followers thought that hospitality was the main issue for the growing cases. Interestingly, almost all the voters voted "No". I had an account contact me wanting to specify further, claiming that they "felt safer in any restaurant than in a supermarket due to stricter procedures". 


I think it is definitely important to note the correlation of cases rising. The country of Northern Ireland primarily saw cases begin to rise in the month of September - two months after restaurants had reopened. Statistically, we saw our highest daily figures at the start of October with one day producing 1080 cases. Indicating that perhaps restaurants were able to operate without causing cases and that the rise had potentially been driven from elsewhere. 

In summary, in my personal opinion - no. Hospitality is not to blame for the rising numbers. I can only speak on behalf of my own experiences working in the industry and dining out during this time. Restaurants are consistently keeping up with ever-changing guidelines - I know this first-hand. Admittedly, we definitely learnt as we went when reopening - learning where to make changes were necessary. And definitely being met with constructive criticism from our clientele. From my own personal opinion - and not one of an expert - I can strongly say that I have not visited a restaurant I did not feel secure in the whole time between July and October. This includes during the chaotic "Eat Out Scheme" period, even whilst working these crazy shifts I felt supported by my workplace. 

Comments