‘A bit numb’: CBD cafe owner reacts to news office limits won’t be lifted on Monday

Both public and private sector officers were set to have staff limits lifted to 75 per cent next week.

But that has now been put on hold, with a tennis quarantine hotel worker testing positive to COVID-19.

Office limits will remain at 50 per cent of usual capacity for the private sector, and 25 per cent of capacity in the public sector.

Owner of Black Velvet coffee on Exhibition Street, Jackie Silverman, says she’s “a bit numb” over the news.

“It was only in the last three days that we started thinking ‘You know what? Things are going to be okay’,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“Last night we were just saying ‘Maybe we can even employ someone again’.

“Not happening now.”

Ms Silverman says business had returned to 30 or 35 per cent of usual yesterday, but today that figure has dropped to about 15 per cent.

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I can’t tell you how many people we have seen, in the last few days, that say they never wanted to come into the city again to work but, now that they are here, are having a ball! It’s amazing how so many of us forgot how valuable face to face contact is for our mental health.

— Black Velvet Coffee (@bvelvetespresso) February 3, 2021