Business heavyweights’ plea to dump mask mandates for hospitality and retail workers

Business leaders are demanding mask mandates be scrapped for hospitality and retail staff but the Premier has refused to bow to pressure.

Cameron Johns clears the beer lines in the Swan Hotel in Richmond. Picture: David Crosling

Daniel Andrews says he has no plans to scrap masks for hospitality and retail workers, despite desperate pleas for an end to mandates from the state’s business leaders.

As revealed by the Herald Sun, three of the state’s key business lobby groups have united to ­demand Victoria’s hundreds of thousands of hospitality and retail workers be freed from the mask mandate.

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian ­Retailers Association and the Australian Hotels Association say employees will walk away from the already short-staffed sectors in droves unless the mask rule is ditched.

A move to scrap the mandate would align Victoria with all other eastern seaboard states, which only recommend that masks be worn by shop, bar and restaurant staff.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp also called for masks to go in the hospitality sector.

“We saw the removal of the mask mandate in the office make a massive difference to people returning to the office environment, and we do believe it would make an enormous difference to retaining staff, but also attracting staff back into the hospitality sector, they’re already short-staffed,” she said.

“Every measure that can be safely taken to make it easier for those people to do their job, but also to enjoy their work, I think that would be a positive step forward.”

But despite the pressure, the Premier on Thursday shut down the prospect of any immediate changes to mask wearing.

“At this stage I’ve got no advice that we’ll be able to take off those mask rules,” he said.

“The thing about independent advice is I’m not here to anticipate what advice I will or won’t get.

Staff preparing for trading while wearing masks. Picture: Luis Ascui

“Rules, there’s very few left, despite the pretty political predictions of some, there are very, very few rules left and that should be a point of pride for all Victorians.”

Currently, masks are only required in some settings including workers in hospitality and retail, in healthcare settings, at courts, prisons and justice centres and on public transport including flights.

“You’ll have some experts saying you’re doing too much, others will say you’re not doing enough. That’s kind of the nature of these things,” he said.

“There are many different views but you’ve got to make decisions.

“We have masks on in very few settings. I know they’re frustrating but at the end of the day compare where we were six or eight months ago. And then compare six or eight months before that.”

Asked to explain the logic behind requiring the retail and hospitality sector to wear face coverings, despite being able to immediately remove their mask in the same venue when they finish their shift, Mr Andrews said: “I’m not here to provide you with the public health rationale”.

People seen wearing masks while shopping at Queen Victoria Market. Picture: Sarah Matray

Opposition leader Matthew Guy said he fully supported the push from the hospitality industry and would scrap masks in those settings if he was in power.

“I think we should be matching New South Wales and Queensland. It is time for us to move on. People from those hospitality sectors should be able to move on to, also for kids in primary school,” he said.

“It makes no sense that you can have 50-60,000 people at the MCG but kids in primary school, in certain grades, are still wearing masks. How is that fair?

“That’s ridiculous. It’s actually stupid but that’s the state government of today.”

Opposition spokesman for CBD recovery David Southwick said a plan was desperately needed to make Melbourne “number one again”.

“On restrictions, mandates or initiatives to get things moving again, Victoria is always behind the eight ball under Labor,” Mr Southwick said.

“It’s time to stop lagging and start leading the nation once again.”

Retail and hospitality staff must continue to wear masks while at work. Picture: Ian Currie

Meanwhile, doubt has also been cast over the push to scrap masks as the state prepares for the “Son of Omicron”.

Mater Health Services director of infectious diseases Paul Griffin told 3AW on Thursday that while Covid restrictions should not continue “a moment longer than they’re needed”, now was a “tricky” time to lift them.

He noted that while there was a risk of the public “disengaging” and becoming “frustrated” with the rules, he pointed to rising case numbers from the new Covid-19 Omicron BA. 2 sub-variant as the reason there should be no immediate changes.

“The timing right now is a little bit tricky to remove them (the mask mandates), I think we perhaps could have a few weeks ago,” Mr Griffin said.

“Right now it might be good just to wait a few more days or a week or two just to see what happens with BA.2.”

Victorian Chamber chief executive Paul Guerra has also called for a detailed winter roadmap that rules out lockdowns and outlines clear trigger points for the reintroduction of ­restrictions, such as masks and social distancing.

Based on a similar blueprint released in California last month, it would strike a ­balance between moving on while also remaining prepared for the potential of new variants and waves.

Mr Guerra said the certainty would help businesses adapt to any challenges during the colder winter months.

“Give us the conditions upon which masks are going to be needed again, or travel is going to be restricted again, so businesses can start planning.

“We know what’s occurring overseas. We should be ready to adopt a similar thing (and then) … at the end of August we slam the door shut on this thing and get on with what will be the final recovery,” he said.

On the masks mandate, Mr Guerra said if action wasn’t taken soon, “we’re going to start losing more people out of those industries because they can work in other industries without putting a mask on”.

Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra said ­national consistency around safety measures was crucial.

“It doesn’t make sense for Victoria to have the harshest mask rules,” he said.

“As it’s been throughout the pandemic, the Covid rules are different depending on where you live and work – and it’s hard to comprehend why.”

Australian Hotels Association CEO Paddy O’Sullivan said: “In a pub setting, staff wearing masks doesn’t necessarily address or prevent the broader challenge.”

A government spokesman said: “We’re balancing the need to support our health system with the benefits of easing restrictions in a careful and sensible way”.