Covid Gold Coast: Sanctuary Cove restaurant Artichoke shut by police
A popular Gold Coast restaurant openly defying vaccine mandates has held an impromptu Christmas lunch after being ordered to close under the Public Health Act.
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A POPULAR Gold Coast restaurant openly defying vaccine mandates has held an impromptu Christmas lunch after being ordered to close under the Public Health Act.
Artichoke Restaurant at Sanctuary Cove held the lunch on Saturday, three days after being forced to close and being fined $6892 for not complying with public health direction.
But in a post on Instagram, the restaurant boasted: “They tried to cancel Christmas, but instead we came together”.
“An absolute honor (sic) to be able to have tantalised the tastebuds of every patron that came through today,” reads the post, which went up on Saturday evening.
“We may not have been open for business, but feasting on such a perfect Christmas Day, was better than washing it all down the drain.
“Nothing went to waste, laughter could be heard for miles and smiles were in abundance”.
The restaurant’s bosses thanked people who had “purchased gift vouchers over the last week to keep us afloat through this closure”.
Queensland police were joined by Liquor and Gaming officers in a visit to Artichoke Restaurant at Sanctuary Cove on Wednesday.
It was just the second eatery across the state to be shut down over the public health orders.
‘We’ll be open tomorrow’
A popular fine dining restaurant openly defying vaccine mandates has been ordered to close under the Public Health Act.
Queensland police were joined by Liquor and Gaming officers in a visit to Artichoke Restaurant at Sanctuary Cove on Wednesday.
It comes after authorities attended the venue at the weekend, dishing out a fine of $6,892 for not complying with public health direction.
Staff member Allessandia Montana told the Bulletin on Wednesday that staff were devastated: “We have all lost our jobs two days before Christmas,” she said.
She said police went to the restaurant to speak with owner Grant Madgwick before ordering the venue shutdown.
Just last night Artichoke’s social media was pushing its Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve packages - now tipped to be scrapped.
However, Mr Madgwick will not “back down” and is allegedly planning to re-open on Thursday despite the order, according to Ms Montana.
“Grant has contacted lawyers but we don’t know what this may mean for the business anymore,” Ms Montana said.
“We’ll be open again tomorrow pending what lawyers say we can and can’t do, and what will hold up in court.”
Gold Coast Covid: Anti-vaxxers turn to prayer instead of protest
Ms Montana said her employer was “angry” he’d been both fined and shutdown while other openly defiant businesses remained untouched.
“He’s angry knowing that out of quite a few businesses being visited he’s the only one that’s been fined,” she explained.
“I can’t speak for other venues, but I think the difference is that they’ve said they’ll do their best to comply whereas we’ve said no.”
An Office of Liquor and Gaming Regulation spokesman said it was the second venue in Queensland to be given a shutdown order. The other was in Toowoomba.
“We have always been focused on the health and safety of Queenslanders and we need everyone to play their part,” the spokesman said.
“The Gold Coast licensed premise Artichoke was issued a fine of for $6,892 on the weekend for not complying with the Public Health Direction, which requires venues to undertake a number of activities including making all reasonable efforts to confirm patrons’ vaccination status.
“The licensees of the business made it clear that they will continue not to comply with the Public Health Direction despite being advised of the consequences for failing to comply.”
Artichoke will remain closed until January 3 under the orders but will be permitted to open earlier if officers determine the venue to be abiding by the mandates.
“OLGR will continue to monitor the compliance of licenced venues with Public Health Directions,” the spokesman said.
‘Ruining Xmas for all’: Fined Hope Island business speaks out
December 20, 2021
A business slapped with a fine of more than $6800 for failing to comply with vaccine mandates says it is “appalling” treatment and “ruining Christmas for everyone”.
Gold Coast Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said high-end Hope Island restaurant Artichoke was fined $6892 at the weekend after flouting the Covid-19 vaccination rules.
Police conducted “business compliance” checks at more than 250 venues between Friday and Monday morning, not including 22 undertaken at shopping centres – but the Hope Island business was the only one fined.
Asked about the mandate breach by the Bulletin, the Artichoke Instagram operator responded it would love to highlight “just how badly this is affecting hospitality businesses and forcing us into corners”.
“And then fining us for doing what we can to continue our livelihood and put food on the table for our families. Our staff have families to feed too, and with no patrons, means no work.”
They added: “Ruining Christmas for everyone. Appalling.”
Police received 33 calls from the public requesting help, including 14 relating to individuals flouting the mandates and abusing workers, and 19 related to non-compliant operators.
All 14 individuals “left prior” to the time police arrived, according to Act Supt Wildman, despite extra police being rostered on.
“We have seen an incredible number of compliance activities going on over the 72-hour period. Can I say, thank you to the Gold Coast community,” he said.
Previously, Glen Day – operator of Pancakes in Paradise, Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta, Montezuma’s Surfers Paradise and The Aztec Broadbeach and Coolangatta – spoke out against the mandates.
On Monday, Act Supt Wildman said a business, which is understood to be Pancakes in Paradise, was checked and four non-compliant unvaccinated staff were told to stop work.
He said police were generally “pleasantly surprised” with the behaviour of the public and businesses on the Coast, considering the number of checks and complaints received.
“Our officers on the Gold Coast have again done an outstanding job in supporting Queensland Health in achieving those health outcomes,” Act Supt Wildman said.
Police were not advised of any fake vaccine certificates being presented.
Act Supt Wildman also spoke about the Surfers Paradise police officer who has tested positive to Covid-19, and was adamant there was minimal risk to the public.
The officer was on leave, but did attend a work Christmas party with about 50 colleagues.
He said dozens of Coast officers have been stood down and placed in isolation until negative test results are returned.
Act Supt Wildman said despite the number of officers affected the police district was not stretched and would respond as normal. He did not announce any new Covid-19 cases linked to the party.
Surfers Paradise Police Station has been deemed safe and reopened
Later, Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said two officers had tested positive on the Coast and one in Logan – forcing 101 cops to isolate across the region.
Fifty two officers are isolating from the Gold Coast and 49 from Logan, he said.
“I’m assured, talking to the Assistant Commissioner there this morning, our business continuity planning is sound,” he said.
“I’m comfortable where that is at the moment, and we will continue to monitor that.
“If we see any pressures on Gold Coast for instance, we will bring police in from other areas, we have the flexibility to do that.”
He said during the height of the pandemic 1300 staff were tied up with Covid duties daily – compared to just 500 now.
“We’re not sitting here waiting for things to happen, we have been planning for this,” Mr Gollschewski said.
Police Union president Ian Leavers said: “Unfortunately the nature of opening up borders means that Covid will be rampant.
“Obviously with police being frontline it’s expected that we, together with all other emergency services workers, and hospital staff, are exposed to Covid more often and I support Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski’s plans to maintain service delivery.
“However as I have previously stated, if we have too many instances of police having to isolate for a period of days, the Commissioner will need to bring police in on overtime to ensure we can maintain an appropriate policing presence to keep the community safe.”
Regarding the borders, which reopened last week, Act Supt Wildman said 35,500 vehicles crossed on Saturday alone.
“Out of that … we saw about 80 vehicles turned around due to noncompliance,” he said.
Most of those turned around had not yet received results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Act Supt Wildman said the lack of vehicles turned back was an “outstanding result”.
Surfers Paradise police officer tests positive for Covid-19
December 20, 8.30am: A Gold Coast police officer has tested positive for Covid.
The officer was the second in the southeast region to test positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.
Gold Coast Superintendent Geoff Sheldon confirmed the Surfers Paradise officer had tested positive to Covid-19, but said the district remained “adequately resourced” in the wake of the result.
”Luckily we’ve had almost two years to train for this,” Supt Sheldon told ABC Gold Coast.
”We expected this to happen during the Delta outbreak, and we dodged a bullet and got away with that.
“But on this occasion one of our officers tested positive. Everyone’s getting tested, and we’re still in the business of looking after the public.
”We’ve got around 60 (officers) that are actually awaiting test results, none of them are symptomatic … at this stage we’re watch and learn and we should know more quite early today hopefully.”
Supt Sheldon said the district was “adequately resourced” in the wake of the positive test.
The other officer was stationed at Beenleigh, which Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll confirmed on Sunday morning.
It comes as Queensland has recorded 42 new cases of Covid-19, with chief health officer Dr John Gerrard saying this number is double the number of cases the state had 48 hours ago.
“If this rate continues we’ll see significant numbers in January as predicted,” he said.
After speaking with most of the doctors of current Covid patients, he said most patients had minimal or no symptoms. However there was one unvaccinated woman who was “moderately unwell and breathless”.
Dr Gerrard said it was “disappointing” people were still unvaccinated during a global pandemic. There’s now 142 active cases across the state and 84.2 of eligible people are doubled dosed, with 89.5 single dosed.
Dr Gerrard said 90 per cent single dose would likely be reached this week.
There were 18,312 tests carried out in the past 24 hours and 14,615 vaccines administered by Queensland Health.
Covid has now spread to Mt Isa, and Dr Gerrard said it was likely most people in Queensland would be exposed to the virus within the next few weeks.
Of the 42 cases, 34 were locally acquired, seven from interstate and one acquired overseas.
One of the cases was a Gold Coast police officer and up to 25 other officers are isolating following their diagnosis.
“We believe there are undetected cases in the community, we have to assume that,” Dr Gerrard said.
“Not just the coastal cities that are affected, now it’s the inland cities.
“So all Queenslanders must consider themselves potentially exposed, or it is likely most Queenslanders will be potentially exposed to this virus in coming weeks.
“Please, please go off and get that first dose, and for those who are five months after receiving second dose, it’s particularly wise now to get a booster, especially if you’re older and vulnerable.”
This comes after a surge in cases from NSW, with the state recording 2566 cases on Sunday. This is the highest tally of daily coronavirus cases in Australia and a jump from the 2482 on Saturday. There’s 227 people in hospital and 28 in ICU wards.
In Victoria, 1240 new cases were recorded and another four people have died. There were 392 people in hospital with the virus, 81 in intensive care and 41 on a ventilator.
Dr Gerrard said previously all patients with Covid were admitted to hospitals, mainly for infection control purposes, but this is about to change.
“We are moving away from that model and clearing beds to allow capacity in the coming weeks, should we require it,” he said.
“I can also tell you that information in the last 24 hours suggests that the Omicron strain is becoming dominant in Queensland, with 21 out of 25 last tested viruses being found to be the Omicron strain.
“And this is happening very rapidly, more rapidly than we originally predicted, we thought it might take weeks but if this trend continues it will be dominant in days.”
Dr Gerrard said while Omicron was “very contagious ” it appeared at this stage the vaccines being given in Australia were “very effective in preventing severe disease, which is the main thing”.
He said the public health measures, such as isolating patients, must continue to allow those who are vulnerable to get a third dose in coming weeks.
Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said more than 171,000 border passes had been lodged since the border reopened.
Of the 197 flights from hot spots, 16 people were refused entry and 104 were put in to hotel quarantine because they did not have PCR tests and were awaiting results.
Police stopped 39,000 vehicles and 190 were turned around for various reasons, including not having a border pass or not being able to fulfil criteria. She said 1162 heavy vehicles were stopped and eight were turned around.
Dr Gerrard said allowing the virus to spread in the community was “inevitable and necessary” and doing it during summer and while schools were closed was good timing.
He said early data suggests that the vaccines being given were particularly effective against Omicron in preventing severe disease.
In regards to people getting Covid testing, Dr Gerrard said the system was capable of testing the number of people who crossing the border but authorities were relying on people to do the right thing in regards to getting a test.
“If people aren’t getting tested (on day five of entering Queensland) they risk getting fined if caught,” he said.
Dr Gerrard said demand on hospitals had not increased and was not expected to around Christmas time, with the recent outbreaks so far having no impact on staffing levels.
When the virus peaks, authorities will focus less on giving the number of cases and instead focus on the number of hospitalisations.
Originally published as Covid Gold Coast: Sanctuary Cove restaurant Artichoke shut by police
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