Vaccine mandate: Death threats in Broadbeach, police swoop the GC
A popular Gold Coast eatery owner has had death threats for enforcing vaccination mandates, other operators dealt with axed bookings – and police swoop on 100 venues citywide.
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The owner of a popular Broadbeach eatery said she received death threats when vaccination mandates came into effect on Friday.
Mario’s Italian Broadbeach owner Tina Arhon said she had been inundated with abuse, from “serious threats” made over the phone and “obscenities and insults” thrown her way from outside the restaurant.
“We had someone call us who said they hoped we would be shut down and our doors never reopened,” she said. “They said I was a stupid b***h and they hoped I would die.
“It’s a really awful thing to hear after the whole hospitality industry has been doing it so tough.”
Ms Arhon said she didn’t notify police of the threat. She said she also encountered an angry group who loitered outside the venue on Friday and were hurling abuse at staff during a busy service.
“We don’t want to be Covid police but want to follow the rules and do the right thing. It’s draining to ask for certificates but we are incredibly grateful to see a full restaurant and more bums on seats.”
Mecca Bah manager Silvia Tidili said the venue had lost “significant bookings” due to the new mandate.
“We’ve had quite a few cancellations from large groups of 20-plus people,” she said.
“Most of the customers in these groups are actually vaccinated, but if one isn’t the whole group usually cancels to try their luck elsewhere.”
Ms Tidili said customers had been “excellent and compliant” with check-ins and showing their vaccination passports.
Ms Tidili told the Bulletin: “Under no circumstances is anyone allowed into our restaurant who isn’t vaccinated, including staff.
“We had two staff members who were crying because they had to get vaccinated. It’s really upsetting but it’s just what we all have to do.”
Ms Tidili, who is from Italy, said the situation was much worse in Europe and Italian citizens who weren’t vaccinated and wanted to work had to get tested “daily” and “at their own cost.”
Mamasan Kitchen and Bar manager Cepi Hanapi said the restaurant was “fully booked” and customers had been “super supportive” since the mandates came into effect on December 17.
“We haven’t had too many cancellations, only from those that can’t dine with us for obvious reasons,” he said.
“Overall we are feeling very positive about everything and it’s business as usual.”
Quarantine jumper found at major Coast shopping centre
A man who was supposed to be quarantining at home breached quarantine and was found at a major Gold Coast shopping centre.
Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said on Sunday that police had been to the person’s Gold Coast home to check if they were complying with quarantine conditions.
He was not there.
“They were located at the Robina Shopping Centre,” she said.
He was fined and ordered to return home.
Commissioner Carroll said police had also issued four warnings to adults at Pancakes in Paradise for breaching guidelines around check-in and vaccinations.
Earlier in the week the restaurant’s owner Glen Day made national headlines when he announced he would not comply with the restrictions for the unvaccinated.
Commissioner Carroll said a police officer from the Beenleigh station had tested positive to the virus.
The positive test means between 20 to 25 officers are in quarantine.
Officers from the Coomera district will help filled shifts at Beenleigh.
It comes as Gold Coast police did not issued a single fine for people breaching vaccine mandates when visiting restaurants and other venues across the city.
Gold Coast police Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said: “It’s been surprisingly quiet.”
It comes after a number of businesses were vocal about not wanting to check people’s vaccination status once the new guidelines came in on Friday.
They include people who have not been vaccinated being banned from entering some venues including restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Chief Supt Wildman said police had a handful of calls for help but a majority of those were resolved by the time police got there.
He said of the businesses which had been vocal about not wanting to comply with the rule: “We visited those businesses and they are generally in compliance (with the guidelines).”
Chief Supt Wildman extended his “kudos to the community” for complying with the guidelines in a respectful way.
Police visited more than 100 businesses on Saturday and are expected to be continuing patrols to ensure people are complying with the vaccination rules.
The Gold Coast’s peak business group also praised the behaviour of both patrons and the vast majority of traders who are following the rules.
While a “noisy small minority” continue to oppose the vaccine mandate, Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said those doing the right thing were helping shops and restaurants get back on their feet.
“The mandate has been well-received by most people who are complying because this is our moment of glory before we see this new omicron variant take over,” he said.
“We are seeing an increased number of traders through the door of restaurants according the members I have spoken with and it is going in the right direction, though there is still a long way to go.
“Most traders are absolutely doing the right thing and this is the best way to help small business rather than these people compromising their options to exist – that shouldn’t be an option.”
Police order unvaxxed hospo staff home, cafe owner abused
Unvaccinated staff members at a Gold Coast restaurant have been forced home on day two of the state’s contentious vaccine mandate.
Glen Day – operator of Pancakes in Paradise, Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta, Montezuma’s Surfers Paradise and The Aztec Broadbeach and Coolangatta – said police visited his sites on Saturday to check they were doing the right thing.
“A couple of staff had to leave the site today because they were unvaccinated,” the pancake mogul said.
“I wasn’t allowed in my restaurant because I’m not vaccinated.”
The ex-chair of the Restaurant Industry Support Group Gold Coast earlier this week vowed to defy state government mandates which kicked in on December 17 banning unvaccinated patrons from dining in at hospitality venues.
Mr Day said he understood a clause in the vaccine mandate allowed unvaccinated workers to continue in their role for a period of time if they played an integral role in the business.
He has sought further clarification from police on this and is awaiting their advice.
“Tomorrow will be difficult because we will be short-staffed,” Mr Day said.
“The regulators were very nice about it. They’re doing their job and I’m trying to do my job – I’m the man in the middle.
“If we haven’t got enough staff it’s going to be another disaster Christmas for us, which we can’t afford.”
Despite this, Mr Day said police had not issued any fines to him.
Queensland Police were contacted for comment.
Meanwhile, Main Beach Hott Shot Cafe owner Jenna Finch said she copped a spray on social media over the opinions she voiced to the Bulletin about the mandate.
She said a “random man” entered her venue and was allegedly “verbally aggressive”.
“He basically said I had no idea what it was like to live under the rules of the mandates and that it hadn’t impacted me at all,” Ms Finch said.
“The truth is I have lost a few amazing regular customers over it so it was disheartening to listen to what he was saying.”
The cafe owner said her vaccinated customers were compliant with the new mandates, and were “actually excited” to show their vaccination passports.
“They all know the rules very well and have been eager to get out their phones and show me their proof of vaccination,” she said.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said there was a high level of compliance with the check-in measures over the past 24 hours.
“We will continue our high activity in this space – more compliance, more controls and work with more businesses into the future,” she said.
Coast hospitality identity Scott Imlach said the response to the mandate so far had been “overwhelmingly positive.”
“We’ve only had one instance of an unvaccinated person attempting to enter one of our venues and myself and the doorman handled it without it escalating into a hostile situation,” Mr Imlach said.
He said the incident occurred at Nightcap in Nobby Beach but was “dealt with quickly”.
The hospitality boss said while he was “on the fence” about the new mandates and “didn’t agree with or disagree with it”, he would ensure all staff across his venues would enforce and follow the rules.
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Originally published as Vaccine mandate: Death threats in Broadbeach, police swoop the GC
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