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Auckland bars, restaurants finally fling open doors

Lucy Xia and James Halpin

Bars and restaurants in Auckland are flinging open their doors after more than three months in lockdown.

As of Thursday night at 11.59pm, New Zealand has transitioned to the Covid-19 Protection Framework where more businesses can open and vaccinated Kiwis can enjoy more freedoms.

Auckland and other regions in the North Island with lower vaccination rates have entered the ‘‘red’’ setting, where hospitality venues are allowed to host up to 100 people if following vaccine requirements.

Irish pub Danny Doolans, in the Viaduct, was among the first to welcome customers back at midnight on Thursday, with a live band and 200 Irish whiskeys.

The bandleader announced: ‘‘Welcome back, it’s been a long three months.

‘‘Bear with us, we haven’t played this s... since August because we had a lockdown.’’ Kim Derbyshire was excited to be back in a bar.

‘‘You can’t go past it, it’s wonderful enough,’’ she said while sipping champagne.

Derbyshire has set a ‘no kissing in the club rule’, which is only half to do with

Covid, she said.

Max Harbottle, 19, said he was keen to meet new people. He said he and his family were all double vaxxed and he wasn’t worried about Covid. His drink of choice – a vodka Red Bull.

At Headquarters bar, Ben Elton said it was ‘‘insane g’’ to be back. ‘‘I’m a plumber that just loves getting on the rinse,’’ he said. Elton had work at 7am yesterday.

‘‘Free drinks, how good,’’ he said. ‘‘And lots more coming.’’

Sarah Inkster said being back was ‘‘amazing’’. Inkster said the Heineken went down well and ‘‘winding up at the ‘Q never felt so spectacular’’.

She thought she’d be going until 3am. There were a few rusty moments after doors first opened, with punters standing at the bar before realising it was seated service or people forgetting to scan the QR code on their Covid tracer app. But for the most part things ran smoothly.

Vaccine passes were in use at both bars. Bouncers at Doolans were holding punters’ phones and scanning the QR code with their own phones. Meanwhile, at Headquarters, phones were placed on a table and scanned at the entrance.

National News

en-nz

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/281608128718203

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