Covid NT: Darwin businesses expect a low-traffic weekend

Darwin businesses are expecting this weekend to be a quiet one, with uncertainty around the Covid situation to blame.

THE mask mandate is taking its toll on Darwin’s hospitality scene, but in two very different ways.

Uncertainty around whether the region will be suddenly forced into lockdown and annoyance at having to wear a mask when outside have resulted in one venue being noticeably more quiet.

The Precinct at the Darwin Waterfront has reportedly been “pretty quiet” since the Territory-wide mask mandate came in.

“We’ve got some bookings for tonight and over the weekend because of Christmas parties, but I believe masks definitely affect the business,” duty manager Jana Sykorova said.

She said she was grateful for the bookings as she didn’t expect many walk-ins this weekend.

“A lot of people are on edge and don’t know if lockdown is going to happen or not.”

Ms Sykorova said she found the mask mandate more annoying than beneficial for anyone.

“I do understand that (the mask mandate) might look like a prevention but it doesn’t really make sense when you sit down and take it off straight away — I’m not a really big fan of it,” she said.

“It’s lucky our staff are nice and loyal because making them wear masks for 10 hour shifts in the heat is hard.

“It’s pretty uncomfortable.”

On the flip side however, the Chook Shed in Tipperary Waters has been busier than usual.

“We haven’t stopped (since the mask mandate came in),” owner Lucia Vieira said.

Ms Vieira said that fear of the outbreak meant people were opting to eat at home rather than out.

“People are calling more often for takeaway. In the afternoons everyone is doing takeaway and going home, they don’t stay,” she said.

“I think they don’t feel safe.”

Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said every business that opened this weekend would be opening to a loss.

“Across the board food and beverage is 30 per cent down and late night venues could be as much as 70 per cent down,” he said.

“We’ve seen a lot of 21st and 18th birthday cancellations in our late night venues.”

Mr Bruce said there were also a number of “flare ups” at some venues in town.

“We don’t condone anyone taking their frustration out on staff,” he said.

“We’re facing more pushback as more of the community is questioning why masks are required in Darwin.”

He said Hospitality NT held out hope that the rules might change on Saturday.

“We’re hoping that today is the mask off moment in high-vaxxed urban communities where there’s no cases,” he said.

“Going forward if the government is going to do a lockout, we’d like to see a lockout without the masks.”