Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with Noonamah Tavern owner Tony Innes about being caught up in the NT's Covid outbreak

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Katie spoke with Noonamah Tavern owner Tony Innes about being caught up in the NT's Covid outbreak · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We know that.
• 0:00
  Speaker 2: Yesterday Obviously, the Territories COVID situation escalated with the government
• 0:05
  Speaker 2: tracing team learning at about two ten the full extent
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: of the movement of this twenty one year old woman
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: who's been identified as the source case of the current
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: outbreak in Katherine and Greater Darwin. Now, the Chief Minister
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: stated at that press conference yesterday that the woman had
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: initially not been cooperative with contact traces. However, further investigation
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: revealed three new exposure sites of concern that that woman
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: had attended. Now, one of the sites was a four
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: hour stint at the Nunamar Hotel or the Nunamar Tavern
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: on Cup Day last week, where it is claimed that
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: over three hundred people attended, but apparently there was less
• 0:42
  Speaker 2: than fifty check ins. Now joining me on the show
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: is the owner of the Nunamar Tavern, Tony Innes. Good
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: morning to you, Tony, Oh there were you not too
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: bad mate? Obviously the Chief Minister's comments yesterday about the
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: Nunamar Tavern were pretty pretty damning effective. Are you saying
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: that it was this case that's behind the twenty four
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: hour Greater do and lockout extension? What was your reaction?
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: When you heard him saying that tiny look.
• 1:11
  Speaker 3: Firstly, I want to apologize that we didn't get our check.
• 1:16
  Speaker 4: In right that day. We were short stuff and that's.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: Partly due to COVID, and you know, we were relying
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: on a majority of people self checking in which the
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: public doesn't have some obligation to do the right.
• 1:29
  Speaker 4: Thing here as well as us.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: But I also like to say that you know, during
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: the week and most weekend most of the locals and
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: people visit.
• 1:37
  Speaker 3: The pub do self check in with you know, the
• 1:39
  Speaker 3: stuff doing if you quite reminded them so called. So
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: you know, we didn't get caught out.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: I admit that, and I laim and you know, the
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: fact that people that normally are pretty good out there
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: probably gave us a bit of a sentence call Center
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: security that the more people would do the right thing
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: in check in without being comfortable all the time. So
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: that was pretty disappointing to get singled out like that
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: on a national media platform. But the main thing is
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: that this woman managed to get through Coore Airport undetected
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: from Melbourne, Adelaide Kens and Darwin by line and in actively.
• 2:19
  Speaker 3: Out in the community in Darwin. That's that's not airport
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: we're okay, I'll line it. We didn't a job wasn't
• 2:25
  Speaker 3: under scratch, But how did she get through that system undetected?
• 2:29
  Speaker 3: And line lots?
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Well, I reckon there's a lot of issues there going. Yeah,
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: there's there's certainly a lot of people asking that question
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: this morning, Tony, and I think you know, we've been
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: asking it for a few days now, but but then
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: yesterday to obviously learn that, you know, she hadn't been
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: entirely honest and up front right from the get go
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: in terms of where she'd been. I mean, you must
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: be frustrated then that that you're sort of named out there,
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: or that the noon of mar Taverns named out there,
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: but really, you know, we're not calling it as it
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: is that she's done the wrong thing as well.
• 3:01
  Speaker 3: Yeah, look like I said, I leane it, we went
• 3:04
  Speaker 3: up to scratch.
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: But up until that point, we've had a very good
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: rapport with the Health Department with our radios.
• 3:10
  Speaker 3: And our other functions without checking in and all that.
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: And we did slip up a bit the other day
• 3:15
  Speaker 4: where we were under staff.
• 3:16
  Speaker 3: We did need more COVID marshals, and we just thought
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: we could manage with what we had and more people
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: with self check in. But in all honesty, wherever I travel.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: And darn with small shops and the service stations, like, seriously,
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: no one's checking in.
• 3:31
  Speaker 3: I stand at the door to check in after it
• 3:33
  Speaker 3: by a fuel, three people walk straight past me to
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: go and play their fuel. And now there just the
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: complacency is everywhere. And I'll admit we were a bit complacent.
• 3:42
  Speaker 3: We got caught out that day. We had a lot
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: of people turn up.
• 3:46
  Speaker 4: In a very short period of time just before the race.
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: So, like I said, ilan it, we got caught out.
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: But God or might there's a lot of people complacent
• 3:55
  Speaker 3: with a lot of other business sects.
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: That's that.
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: I'm just pointing out that.
• 4:02
  Speaker 4: And I do.
• 4:03
  Speaker 3: Partly blame mister Garnery himself, like he is on his
• 4:07
  Speaker 3: promises in our.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: By election he'll keep the borders closed as long as
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: possible to keep over there.
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: So you know that sil sort of lets people think, oh, well,
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: if he's going to keep people out, was a bit
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: of composently, what do we even need to check in?
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: So there's a bit of accountability there.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: Well, Tony, are there going to be any changes or
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: are you going to sort of implement any changes? Out
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: at the noon of mar tavern. Following on from from
• 4:30
  Speaker 2: this situation and following on from what's happened.
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Well, obviously our next major function in January with you run,
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: we may have to outsource the extra staff just to
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: do combine because we were run off their feet and
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: cut over. We're short staff and so yeah, we may
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: have to outsource extra stuff just just for compliance on
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: you know, getting every run in and outdates, and that's.
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: Be cost to other happusiness and other businesses that are
• 4:59
  Speaker 3: going going through the same same sort of things.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: You know. That's all the compliance we already.
• 5:04
  Speaker 3: Do for the Goyah like a licensing and gaming and
• 5:07
  Speaker 3: BDR and COVID, but the rules changed just about daily. Well,
• 5:12
  Speaker 3: and it is hard to keep.
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: Up, it is, it would be hard to keep up.
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: And look, I don't run a business, so I don't
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: know how tough it is to try and keep up.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: And you know, I know that what you have obviously
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: said there is that you know is that that you
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: you'll cop it on the chain in terms of you
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: could have done more on the day to make sure
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: that people are checking in, but made at what point
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: do we actually also take some personal responsibility in terms
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: of each and every one of us going out and
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: about and making sure we're doing the right thing ourselves.
• 5:40
  Speaker 3: I do everywhere.
• 5:41
  Speaker 4: I'll go check in, and I feel like, why am
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: I bothering.
• 5:43
  Speaker 3: When several people walk past me at the shop or
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: a servo or this that you know.
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: There's a lot of complacency.
• 5:50
  Speaker 3: And then the other thing I wanted to touch on
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: is is how rapidly the rules and regulations are changing
• 5:56
  Speaker 3: with COVID. You know, like we were tired of this
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: mandate that's all frontline workers had to be double back
• 6:03
  Speaker 3: where we're given and that includes hospitality works.
• 6:06
  Speaker 4: We were given yep, twelve.
• 6:08
  Speaker 3: Thirteenth of November for the first JAB and middle of
• 6:11
  Speaker 3: December for your second and that's that's on frame, and
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: then you're good to go. Then all of a sudden we
• 6:16
  Speaker 3: get this outbreak and then we get told on only
• 6:19
  Speaker 3: double backs people who were their COVID certificates and work
• 6:23
  Speaker 3: during this lockdown, and we'd have to upfull the customers
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: this babing back. So then you can walk out in
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: the bottle shop and you can be unbacked working there
• 6:31
  Speaker 3: and unbacked and get served as long as you sign in.
• 6:34
  Speaker 3: So there's so much complicting rules and regulations out there.
• 6:38
  Speaker 3: No wonder people are getting confused business than the public
• 6:42
  Speaker 3: alt Tony.
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: We are going to have to get ready to wrap up,
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: But I do want to ask you before I let
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: you go, how is it going from your perspective? With
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: that mandate? It's due to kick in obviously Friday, I
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: believe the last day that people have got to actually
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: get that first vaccine. Then as of Saturday, obviously you
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: as a business owner are going to be having to
• 7:01
  Speaker 2: make sure that your staff have have received the vaccine.
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: How is that going from your perspective?
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: Well, it stays unless unless we get changed to a
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: casual contact, we won't get open until next Tuesday. And
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: now we've got some staff that were booked to get
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: in this week that have told they've got to isolate.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: I've even got one staff member was told was told
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: to go straight to old friends because she's got young children.
• 7:31
  Speaker 3: And she got there at six pm on the day
• 7:33
  Speaker 3: Melbourne Cup day.
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: And that lady in question left at six seventeen. She
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: had no contact with us, and now she's been told
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: to you to go to how its friends stays away
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: from a young kids for a full week, or if
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: she stays home and her self the kids will have
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: to get tested and if she's negative, then her husband's
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: going to go and find somewhere to live for a
• 7:54
  Speaker 1: week to stay away from us.
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: So I mean, wow, yeah, that's pretty intense.
• 7:58
  Speaker 4: So much for the book in halfway through their their
• 8:03
  Speaker 4: that that's program.
• 8:04
  Speaker 3: We've got quite a few stuff fully back.
• 8:06
  Speaker 4: Yeah, you know, I was.
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: I was saying, look, we don't make the rules, but
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: everyone needs to be vaccinated, so all that stuff.
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: We're going about doing the right thing. And but now
• 8:17
  Speaker 3: some of them are going to be tapping to the
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: man's land. They've been told to isolate and had to
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: cancel their bookings and you know, so we're going to
• 8:25
  Speaker 3: be short stuffing when we do it. We've only got
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: a handful of.
• 8:28
  Speaker 4: Staff to try and run the bottle shop.
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: Now a pub shut Tony.
• 8:32
  Speaker 2: So the pub is shut until did you say next Tuesday?
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: It's got to be shut until well.
• 8:37
  Speaker 3: I'm assuming we're waiting to get back because that will
• 8:39
  Speaker 3: be two weeks from the point of contact from Melbourne Cup.
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: So we've only got a few staff that are actually
• 8:44
  Speaker 3: fully backed. Like I said, a lot of them were
• 8:47
  Speaker 3: single vats and they've been told they have to quarantine
• 8:50
  Speaker 3: until they get a negative. And then we're still waiting
• 8:52
  Speaker 3: to hear what else to do with the pub shut
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: We're trying to run the bottle shop on a selling
• 8:56
  Speaker 3: and the staff and and the other thing is we
• 8:59
  Speaker 3: can't even a storm and introduce and still it because
• 9:04
  Speaker 3: he was working that day too. What's going to happen
• 9:07
  Speaker 3: over the next week.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: But in terms of the financial impact of this situation
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: on you, of somebody getting across the border coming into
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: your establishment, fair enough, you haven't been as strict with
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: the COVID check in as what you should have been.
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: But how big a financial impact is this going to have?
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: On the noon mar Tavent.
• 9:27
  Speaker 3: Look, it'll be tough over the next week. So look,
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: I've stood proud in the statement I put up on
• 9:33
  Speaker 3: the agency and shared on social media.
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: We never qualified the job keeper. We've never caught qualified for.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: Any local government assistance and I don't want to I'm
• 9:42
  Speaker 3: proud of the fact that we survive without it. But
• 9:45
  Speaker 3: you know it is basically by the time we reopened,
• 9:47
  Speaker 3: it's going to be.
• 9:49
  Speaker 4: At least ten days.
• 9:50
  Speaker 3: You know, we're getting a bit of money coming in
• 9:51
  Speaker 3: through the bother shops and we are trying to do
• 9:54
  Speaker 3: the right thing, but there's just so many issues with compliance.
• 9:57
  Speaker 4: And ever changing roles. You know, it does get a
• 9:59
  Speaker 4: bit computer at times. We'll get through, yeah, but you
• 10:03
  Speaker 4: know it does. It starts to do heading a bit
• 10:05
  Speaker 4: after a while.
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: I'll tell you, well, Tony in US, I really appreciate
• 10:08
  Speaker 2: your time this morning. Thank you very much for having
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: a chat with us. And I'm sure that yeah, there's
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: a lot of people this morning who'll be feeling for
• 10:15
  Speaker 2: you after what's gone on.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: Thanks for your time, Katie, thank you.
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: Thanks mate,