At midnight all the restaurants will be shut down as part of the government’s intervention to contain the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus. This has raised mixed emotions.

All shops and businesses will be closed, except for pharmacies, laboratories, banks, essential financial and payment services, including the JSE, supermarkets, petrol stations and health care providers. The closure will affect all deliveries, takeaways or home deliveries.

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Some of the restaurants managers and owners say the industry is concerned about the financial impact this has brought, not only for the owners, but also for the workers. Rent, salaries and electricity need to be paid.

According to Natasha Kruger, part of management at Lydenburg Ocean Basket, said she does not know what will happen to the staff members when the store closes.

“Since we will have to close totally, these people look to me for guidance. I need to pay salaries; where do I get the income from? All the waiters only work on commission and tips for their monthly income.

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“There is no salary for them; some of them are already not making their normal income per month. I cannot just leave them in the streets,” she explained.

Kruger said restaurants were already affected even before the announcement of the shutdown was made on Monday.

“We noticed that two weeks ago people just stopped coming to the restaurant. The sales dropped immensely already. Some days it costs me more to stay open.”

When asked about recovery when the shutdown ends, Kruger said it will be difficult to recover. “I do not think we will recover very quickly or very soon. People will not have money for luxuries such as dining out; they will rather go to a grocery store.”

The nationwide lockdown for 21 days starts from midnight.