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Business Reporter

The Restaurant Operators’ Association of Zimbabwe (ROAZ) has joined the on-going mass vaccination drive and hopes to ride on the exercise to facilitate re-opening of the sector to sit-in services.

In a latest update, the association said it has started facilitating staff vaccinations, which saw more than 270 restaurant staffers from Harare alone receiving their first Covid-19 jabs on Wednesday.

So far, close to 1 000 members in the capital city have received one or two vaccinations and the drive will be spread across the country, said the association.

The Wednesday session was arranged by ROAZ vice president, Ms Karen Mutasa, who has been closely involved in a number of anti-Covid initiatives since the outbreak of the pandemic early last year.

“Restaurants around the country have been responding positively to the call by the Government for people to be fully vaccinated and ROAZ wanted to increase that level of support with a day session that would enable as many staff as possible to receive their first jabs,” said Ms Mutasa.

“These first-timers will receive their second jabs in a few weeks’ time and will join the many other restaurant staff around Zimbabwe who are fully vaccinated.”

She said feedback from ROAZ members has shown that about 1 000 people now had first or second-time vaccination, which is about 94 percent of staff totals.

“ROAZ applauds restaurant operators for encouraging staff to join the national drive and we also thank the staff themselves for being co-operative and supportive,” said Ms Mutasa.

ROAZ has paid tribute to the Ministry of Health and Child Care for sending a team of nurses to the day-long vaccination session, which took place at Ms Mutasa’s Organikks restaurant venue in Chisipite. Staff came in from member restaurants on a pre-booked schedule and the operation was conducted smoothly and successfully.

The association is working in partnership with the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe, the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority to advocate for the re-opening of restaurants to sit-down dinning.

At present restaurants are able only to serve takeaway or delivery food, but ROAZ has argued through research that this is unsustainable for the trade.

“Our vaccination programme complements the other measures undertaken by restaurants to provide safe venues for diners, and we are working hard to have restaurants re-opened in safe but welcoming conditions,” said Ms Mutasa, who is a trustee of Solidary Trust Zimbabwe, a healthcare body.