The scheme may be extended if cases keep rising
PUB landlords and restaurant owners in Whitchurch are concerned at the possibility of the NHS Covid Pass being expanded to include hospitality venues.
Their worries follow the scheme’s extension to cinemas, theatres, and concert halls this week and come despite First Minister, Mark Drakeford saying that no further extension would be needed if the number of new Covid cases continue to fall.
But he also noted: “If numbers were to rise again, and if the protection of that pass were needed in more settings, then this Welsh Government will not hesitate to take those actions that help to keep people in Wales safe.”
Colin Elson, 46, the landlord of The Maltsters on Merthyr Road, said: “A lot of pubs would struggle to cope.
“It’s down to the manning. It’s difficult to get staff at the moment as it is, and if you have to man the door to check every Covid Pass, it would be really difficult to accommodate that into your weekly wage.”
Nightclubs in central Cardiff have had issues with younger customers’ Covid Passes, but Whitchurch’s landlords are worried on behalf of older customers.
Aaron Sullivan, 36, the landlord of The Royal Oak in Whitchurch, said: “There are a lot of older people who don’t use their phones much.”
Mr Sullivan added that he would support the scheme if older customers could show their paper vaccine card as proof of vaccination. The Welsh Government does not currently state that it allows this.
However, if you are fully vaccinated and cannot access your digital pass to print it out, you can phone 0300 303 5667 to request a paper certificate.
When asked about whether pubs posed a risk of Covid transmission, Mr Elson said: “Any gathering of people is a risk. What I would say is that we do practice social distancing.
“We still have sanitise stations, we still sanitise contact points constantly, and since the restrictions have eased, we haven’t added additional tables. There would normally be one or two more tables on either side of our pub.”
Some business owners pointed out that any extension of the Covid Pass could damage venues’ Christmas plans.
Marc Palladino, 59, the owner of Pizzeria Villaggio on Merthyr Road, said: “We’ve got lots of bookings for Christmas.
“I don’t think Mark Drakeford is going to extend the Covid Pass to restaurants. Something has to be done, but he’ll get problems from people if he extends it now before Christmas.
“But if he does it, there’s not much we can do.”
