TheCity

Tag: restrictions

  • ‘We will keep dancing’ – Uproar as government enhance night club restrictions

    ‘We will keep dancing’ – Uproar as government enhance night club restrictions

    By Leigha O Reilly Hughes 

    With the new restrictions hitting the hospitality sector once again, Leigha O’Reilly Hughes reports on the updates and how the nightclubs adopted new guidelines to keep their doors open.

    Ceiling of a nightclub only recently opened back up – image by Leigha O’Reilly Hughes

    The government has announced new closing times for nightclubs, pubs and restaurants. From Thursday the 18th of November, they must close at midnight. This is due to the high number of COVID cases the country is experiencing.

    It has been less than a month since the curfew of 11:30 was lifted on pubs and restaurants and nightclubs were given the go ahead to open their doors.

    Nightclubs were the last to open since the pandemic hit in 2020. They were closed for more than 18 months. 

    Nightclubs were given specific guidance in order to open back up to the public. Covid passes are mandatory for entrance, face masks are to be worn except for when dancing, drinking or eating, and pre-bought tickets were also needed to gain entry. 

    These rules were put in place for protective measures to help avoid a surge in cases of Covid-19 cases. 

    The new restrictions were issued due to the high number of daily Covid-19 cases, as well as the hospital and ICU numbers. On the day the restrictions were announced there were 4,407 new cases confirmed by the Department of Health. There were 614 people in hospital, with 114 of them being in the ICU.

    The new restrictions have been a major hit for nightclubs. They were the last in the country to open and are now being forced to close their doors early. 

    Many nightclubs have taken to social media to announce the restrictions, while also showing how they feel about the situation. 

    Tramline, a nightclub located on D’Olier Street in Dublin took to Instagram to say “We will keep dancing.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWVyw7HsBGf/?utm_medium=copy_link

    “We are devastated at today’s government announcement. We have followed every guideline and put every safety measure in place. We have opened our doors and provided purpose to countless staff and artists over the past 3 weeks,” says the Instagram post.

    “We are devastated,” says Caoimhe, the creative director and social media manager in Tramline. 

    “In order to open, we had rules of queue systems, masks enforced in certain areas, tickets sold in advance and Covid isolation areas. This was all a massive change we had to take on as a team,” says Caoimhe. 

    “With the new restrictions, venues must close at midnight. This halves the shift times for our staff, lessens the experience for customers and limits any real progress we have made.”

    Caoimhe also expresses how closing the nightclubs early can be dangerous for those who enjoy nightlife. 

    “In Tramline we have toilet facilities, security, trained medical staff and access to emergency services. The above cannot be said about the illegal raves and after parties that will now happen. This is where our clubbers will go.”

    People have also taken to social media to express how they feel about the new restrictions for nightclubs. 

    People feel as though the hospitality and arts sector, as well as young people are being left behind by the government once again.

    Links to tweets:

    https://twitter.com/districtmag/status/1460623102786916360?s=21
    https://twitter.com/kevinn1983/status/1460674086523346944?s=21
    https://twitter.com/paulhennessy07/status/1460588196887240705?s=21
  • Covid-19 abroad: Canada’s response to the coronavirus pandemic

    Covid-19 abroad: Canada’s response to the coronavirus pandemic

    Watch Katy Brennan and Nicole Kidd discuss how Covid-19 has been handled in Vancouver, British Columbia

    As Canada begin to ease its restrictions , Katy Brennan speaks to Nicole Kidd, who gives an account of the country’s dealings with the Covid-19 pandemic over the past year

    The first community transmitted case of coronavirus in Canada occurred on 5 March 2020. Cases grew rapidly, and by mid-March, all provinces had declared a state of emergency.

    In response to the growing number of cases, Canada severely restricted its borders, banning all non-essential travellers and forcing any exceptions to self-isolate for 14 days.

    Each province implemented varying degrees of restrictions and has continued to do so as case numbers rise and fall.

    Some provinces, such as Ontario and Quebec, introduced heavy restrictions like school closures, shutting down non essential retail, and curfews. Other areas, like British Columbia, have taken a lighter approach.

    Nicole Kidd left Ireland for Vancouver, British Columbia, three years ago.

    We feel really spoiled over here because we have never not been able to go eat food, or go out for lunch, and our bars are open

    Nicole Kidd

    She explains that social gatherings are banned and most people work from home, but stores, cafes and bars have remained open throughout – offering people some sense of normality.

    People are expected to socialise exclusively with people from their own household, but exceptions are made for those who live alone, who are permitted to have a ‘bubble’ of two other people.

    A shot overlooking Vancouver. Photo by Adi Kavazovic on Pexels

    Kidd is grateful to have maintained a decent social life – something she thinks is important for mental health and hard for those back home in Ireland. 

    “We feel really spoiled over here because we have never not been able to go eat food, or go out for lunch, and our bars are open,” she says.

    Kidd is a qualified yoga teacher and while she is eager to get the vaccine and return to normal life, she is happy the pandemic has allowed her to devote more time to her yoga.

    Canada’s vaccine rollout began on 14 December, and since then the country has vaccinated 1.1 million people. The rollout consists of three stages, working its way down from most vulnerable to least vulnerable.

  • “Let’s hope we can all weather the storm”: the effect of restrictions on Irish pubs

    “Let’s hope we can all weather the storm”: the effect of restrictions on Irish pubs

    With many pubs across the country forced to close their doors for a second time due to the rise in cases in recent weeks, it breathes more uncertainty for the license trade. Ciaron Noble spoke with Kildare man Dave Mahon whose family have been at the heart of the license trade in Leinster for over half a century. 

    Publicans are closing their doors for the second time this year. Video courtesy of Mahon’s pub in Kildare.

    Many businesses have been massively impacted by the pandemic, which has been causing havoc within many sectors and greatly damaging our economy. You could argue however that the pub/license trade has felt the greatest wrath of business closures more than any other industry. 

    JJ Mahons of Kildare Town has been in the wholesale business for over 70 years, while also running a pub on the main street.  Over time they have become one of the largest independent drink distributors in the Leinster area and like pubs nationwide, they have been massively affected by Covid-19. 

    The pub itself has only been open for a period of two weeks since the middle of March. “The wholesale/bottling business hasn’t really functioned properly since the start of March – we would have had staff of at least 30 and now we probably have less than six people, and three of those are family,” said manager Dave Mahon. “Percentage wise currently we are probably doing 5-10% of our usual turnover.”

    There are undoubtedly countless pubs in a similar boat to the one Mahons find themselves in. Many of the pubs that were forced to shut in March have had to close their doors permanently and while we are in the midst of the second wave, we might see more publicans forced to close their doors indefinitely. We can’t rule out further waves meaning that it really will be survival of the fittest in the industry. 

    “The only pubs that will probably survive are the old ones where the mortgage is paid off or where they’re family run, but even at that they’ll need to be doing volume if they’re going to survive,” said Mahon.

    It is felt by some publicans that the government should have protected the license trade by introducing a minimum union price on sales of alcohol across supermarkets and other outlets to enable publicans to compete with prices. 

    “Let’s be honest here, why would anyone go to the pub if you can buy a bottle of vodka in the supermarket for half nothing – if the government was to do anything for the license trade they need to introduce minimum unit pricing,” Mahon urged. 

    Since the budget last week, the government hae brought in a new support system that will help the pub and hospitality sector. The plan will see businesses who have been forced to close because of current restrictions receive up to a maximum of €5,000 per week. This is a proposal that generally seems to be welcomed by many, as a starting point for much needed assistance during this crisis. 

    People haven’t forgotten the video of a packed Temple Bar near the beginning of the national public health emergency, with the majority of publicans agreeing with public health guidelines at the time. “It was the logical thing to do, I get why the government had to close the pubs, it made sense,” Mahon agreed. 

    Mahon’s, like many pubs across the country, don’t serve food which prohibited them from opening in late June, missing out on the majority of the summer trade. This is a period where the industry is usually quite busy and they make a good slice of their yearly revenue. During this time-frame the virus was at its lowest point, with the number of daily cases greatly reduced from the peak in March/April. 

    “While the cases were low, I know a good few pubs that could have opened safely with big outdoor areas and at least they would have made a bit of money before the imminent 2nd lockdown, instead of letting us open when cases started to rise again for a period of two weeks,” Mahon remarked.

    With more uncertainty looming in the coming months it’s unclear when Mahon’s pub will be allowed to open again and when the wholesale business will be back in full flow once more. Welcoming the idea of additional help from the government, Mahon outlined his hopes for the future, stressing that the government should increase mortgage breaks and help protect the publicans. 

    “I hope the government encourages people to go to hotels, restaurants and pubs when this is all over, no sector has been financially hit harder than these sectors. Let’s hope we can all weather the storm, it’s a long winter.”

  • Newbridge in pictures: Rural Kildare town adjusting to restrictions during Covid-19

    Newbridge in pictures: Rural Kildare town adjusting to restrictions during Covid-19

    TheCity.ie’s Kim O’Leary presents a collection of her own photos from her hometown of Newbridge, Co Kildare, where big and small businesses are fighting to adjust to restrictions – cautiously optimistic that their beloved town will one day flourish again.

    ‘Newbridge or Nowhere’ became the town’s unofficial mantra following the summer of 2018 debacle, when Kildare rejected the choice of Croke Park as the venue for their All-Ireland qualifier round 3 match with Mayo. In the end the match was played in Newbridge’s St. Conleth’s Park and saw the Lilywhites emerge victorious over Mayo. This mural was painted to cement the landmark victory. (March, 2020)

    The Covid-19 pandemic has changed normal life as we know it, with many local businesses bearing the brunt of changes to the economic climate. And for my small rural town of Newbridge in Co Kildare, the difference between Newbridge before and during Covid-19 is startling; shops are closed, people now wear masks and gloves to the supermarkets and the atmosphere of dread and fear is palpable in the air.

    Newbridge Town Hall is located at the very heart of the town and the building has been used as a dance hall, a FÁS training centre, a bingo hall, a storage unit and it was also headquarters to the town commission and the community council. The first stone of the town hall (which is formerly a barracks chapel) was laid in 1859 by Lieutenant General Sir James Chatterton. (March, 2020)

    Newbridge, officially known by its Irish name Droichead Nua, is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. While the nearby Great Connell Priory was founded in the 13th century, the town itself formed from the 18th century onwards. The town grew to include a military barracks which opened in the early 19th century, which continues to function.

    The back-end streets behind Main Street in Newbridge are lonely during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many of the small shops and businesses closed. (April, 2020)

    In the 20th century the town saw great expansion of local business, and Newbridge began acting as a commuter town for Dublin. Over the last twenty years, the town has seen its population soar to 22,742 in the 2016 Census – making it the most populous town in Kildare.

    The newly refurbished post office in Newbridge opened earlier in the year, and it remains open during the Covid-19 pandemic to provide essential services to the town’s inhabitants. (April, 2020).

    In many ways — with GAA being so popular — you’re either a Moorefield or Sarsfields fan, with downtown considered Sarsfields’s turf.

    Like most places still open for business in Newbridge, strict ‘social-distancing’ practices are in operation inside the post office. Make sure to stay two metres apart. (April, 2020)

    St. Conleth’s GAA Park is located downtown, so when these two rival sides come together to play GAA, it’s sure to an entertaining display of Gaelic football prowess. In October 2019, Sarsfields were declared Kildare Senior Football Champions for the 25th time in their history after they claimed a six point victory over Moorefield in St. Conleth’s Park.

    People wear masks as they queue up outside the post office in Newbridge, adhering to the 2 metres social distancing rule. (April, 2020)
    It’s not all doom and gloom for local businesses, with SPAR and Life Pharmacy among the essential stores remaining open during the pandemic. (April, 2020)
    Judge Roy Beans restaurant on Edward Street is a must-see for burger lovers, with the American style restaurant crowned ‘Best Pub Burger’ two years in a row. Currently the restaurant is operating a takeaway service due to Covid-19 and its next door neighbour the EBS building society is open for business as usual. (April, 2020)
    Whitewater Shopping Centre — located on Main Street in Newbridge — is one of the country’s largest shopping centres, with thousands of visitors flocking to it every year. At the moment, many of its non-essential shops have closed but its outdoor water features are still proving popular with families. (April, 2020)
    Escalators have been powered down in the Whitewater Shopping Centre, with only a handful of stores open including the Marks & Spencer food hall. (April, 2020)
    A blind man walking down Main Street in Newbridge during the Covid-19 pandemic over Easter weekend. (April, 2020)

    The very top of the town is home to the larger supermarkets of Dunnes Stores and Tesco, as well as the newly opened skate park, and fast-food giants McDonalds and KFC.

    For the first time in their history since opening in Newbridge, McDonalds and KFC on Moorefield Road are shut for business with empty carparks over the Easter weekend. McDonalds shut its doors on Monday, April 23 and KFC shut on Wednesday, March 25.
    (April, 2020)
    A solitary man eats outside KFC in Newbridge during Covid-19. (April, 2020)
    The Dunnes Stores carpark in Newbridge is almost full as shoppers flock to gather their much-need food supplies. (April, 2020)
    A female shopper dressed in mask and gloves for this shopping excursion. (April, 2020)
    A woman visits the fish monger to collect her order. (April, 2020)
    The popular skate park in Newbridge opened last April after 20 years of campaigning by skate boarding enthusiasts, but during Covid-19 the park is going mostly unused. (April, 2020)
    One of the most iconic businesses located in Newbridge is of course Newbridge Silverware, which has spent over 80 years in the town. Its Museum of Style Icons features pop culture memorabilia from Princess Diana’s dresses to suits worn by The Beatles, and much more. (March, 2020)