Hospitality industry consultant Dean Jarvis has called for Victorian government intervention to assist a sector that has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. He warns that Melbourne’s cafes, bars and restaurants face collapse if the government does not step in. The federal government’s ban on indoor gatherings of more than 100 people will add to the sector’s woes, while Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that this threshold may need to be reduced if the health crisis escalates:
“The industry needs help. The whole industry is on the brink of collapse. It’s not just small businesses and families, it’s industry-wide, everyone is suffering and we need a little bit of help,” he said.
He said a gift voucher initiative where customers pre-purchase vouchers could stimulate businesses “a little bit”, but government intervention was the only thing that would really help.