Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce says no need for extension of mask mandate

The Top End's hospitality sector is fuming at the Territory government's decision to maintain a mask mandate until the end of the week.

THE Top End's hospitality sector is fuming at the Territory government's decision to maintain a mask mandate until 5pm Friday.

Announcing the Darwin lockout would end at midnight Tuesday, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said masks would be required for an extra 65 hours beyond the end of the lockout.

Hospitality NT had previously called on the government to forego the mask mandate extension – but the appeal fell on deaf ears.

Hospitality NT chief executive Alex Bruce said that there was no need for the extension and it would achieve no purpose because there was no Covid in Darwin.

“Masks until 5pm Friday even though sewerage tests are already showing there is no Covid up here,” Mr Bruce said.

“It means our industry is questioning why they continue to lose upwards of 50 per cent of their revenue when there is no Covid.

“No one wants to wear a mask in Darwin’s build-up and customers are staying away.”

Mr Bruce said after the Aug­ust lockdown, a seven-day extension of the mask mandate cost businesses at least 30 per cent of their regular ­takings.

He also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s border controls after a woman who travelled from Cairns to Darwin sparked the NY’s latest Covid situation that has hit hospitality hard.

“This most recent outbreak has left many in our industry and the broader Northern Territory community asking how good the government’s border checking processes actually are,” he said.