Restaurant industry fed up with constant COVID inspections

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — As provincial and city officials continue to limit the spread of COVID-19, restaurant and bar owners are concerned about the rise of public health inspections and ways they are being conducted.

The industry is trying to navigate safely through the pandemic, but staff are getting frustrated about how constant the inspections are.

President of the Alberta Hospitality Association Ernie Tsu said inspectors are coming multiple times during a week after restaurants show they are following all requirements.

“If there’s legitimate complaints being filed, then follow up visits need to be done. But to have two or three visits within four days I would say is definitely not anything that you could really achieve there,” Tsu said.

He adds any further restrictions will really hurt the industry and there is some worry as numbers continue to spike.

“Our concern is a curfew definitely will not work. We’re seeing it in other provinces that attempted a curfew and the numbers have gone the opposite way as people are spilling into the streets at the same time,” Tsu added they can’t another hit as the reopening of restaurants is putting people back to work.

“The restaurants can’t afford another closure, they just can’t. We’re talking about the number three employer in the province, number one employer coming out of COVID at re-employing Albertans as an industry.

“To have another closure when the data states the cases are not coming from restaurants, that’s one thing we do thank the government for is coming forward and letting the public know its not the restaurants that having the cases.

Some restaurants say a heavy police presence during the inspections scaring customers away, but Mayor Naheed Nenshi says that is not the intent.

“Sorry if people are feeling harassed and everyone should be professional in terms of the Alberta Health inspectors and police officers and so on. But I want to say to the vast majority of restaurants and bars, ‘You’re doing a great job and we want to keep you open,'” Nenshi said.

Calgary Emergency Management Agency chief Tom Sampson said on Wednesday, the measures are done to keep people safe and they are focusing on locations that need to do a better job of following guidelines.

“Specifically, first off trying to help people, and then secondly where we have those who have some egregious violations, the Alberta Health Services folks are writing orders on what needs to be done.

“I regret that people view that as something more than it is, it’s there to help Calgarians comply and it’s there to make sure we can keep those businesses open in a safe fashion,” Sampson said.

The province restricted social gatherings in Calgary and Edmonton on Monday to 15 people, but restaurants don’t fall under that guideline and Tsu says the structure of restaurants can help limit the spread and will help the industry.

“When you go into a restaurant, or a pub, or lounge that is following all the guidelines, you’re going into a structured environment that is being laid out directly from Alberta Health and following those protocols to keep the public safe,” he said.

Alberta Health Services and Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw have reported that fewer than one per cent of COVID-19 cases have been connected to restaurants.