Troubles with customer responses to COVID-safe protocol has encouraged a local business to reaffirm the importance of the measures to keep the local community safe.
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Annie's Ice Cream Parlour took to Facebook last week to further stress the importance of COVID-safe compliance after isolated incidents.
The incidents involved customers abusing staff, taking offence to the guidelines and denouncing the pandemic as a scam.
Owner Lisa Pitts said the guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers, as well as ensuring businesses can trade without disruption.
"The safety of our staff and customers has to come first, and we don't want to see businesses such as ours close for two weeks due to a deep clean," Ms Pitts said.
"We understand the guidelines can be stressful to follow, but they're necessary to ensure we can trade as normal, and after what happened in Orange last week, it highlights the importance of these precautions."
From January 1, all hospitality venues across the state were required to make the move to the Service NSW QR code sign in system to capture customer and staff details.
The venue has received kind messages of support since airing the concerns last week, and Ms Pitts said it reaffirms staff are doing the right thing.
"Sure, the guidelines result in a more detailed point of sale and dine-in process than usual, but 90 per cent of people are understanding," she said.
"People of all ages visit Annie's, including those in the more vulnerable category for COVID-19, so it's important to provide a comfortable environment for everyone."
"We're trying to look after everyone at the end of the day, and visitors need to understand we can be fined $5000 for COVID safety breaches."
Ms Pitts has thanked the Bathurst community for their continued support throughout the COVID-19 period.
For more information on COVID-safe protocol for NSW businesses, visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/covid-safe.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
