Popular pubs and restaurants in New South Wales are hit with $50,000 worth of fines after being caught out for breaching coronavirus rules
- Hospitality venues breaching safety restrictions targeted in statewide blitz
- Ten hotels, cafes, clubs and restaurants across NSW copped $5,000 fines
- Four from the Central Coast while another three were from western Sydney
- Public urged to report coronavirus safety breaches at venues to police
Ten pubs, cafes, clubs and restaurants across New South Wales have been slapped with $5,000 fines after they were caught out breaching coronavirus restrictions.
Almost one in 40 hospitality venues visited by Liquor & Gaming NSW, SafeWork NSW and NSW Fair Trading inspectors in last weekend's blitz breached COVID-19 safety restrictions as a fresh outbreak of new infections continues to grow across the state.
Of the ten venues named and shamed, four were from the NSW Central Coast while another three were from western Sydney.
Hulstone Park Hotel (pictured) was one of 10 venues to cop $5,000 fines in a statewide blitz
Eateries Heart 2 Heart in Merrylands and Master Hot Pot in Auburn are in the Cumberland Council area, which has recorded 23 cases in the last four weeks
The Kingswood Hotel near Penrith was also fined, along with Hurlstone Park Hotel in Sydney's inner west, Yagoona's Greyhound Social Club in the city's south-west and Tamworth Services Club in north-east NSW.
On the Central Coast, the Mapo Galbi Korean BBQ and Yai Thai restaurants in Gosford were also busted, along with Thai Thyme and Hero Sushi.
Most breaches related to a lack of a COVID-19 safety plan, inadequate record keeping and poor social distancing.
Liquor & Gaming compliance executive director Peter Dunphy described businesses breaching the strict rules as reckless.
'It beggars belief that anyone would want to eat, drink and mingle, shoulder to shoulder with others during a pandemic,' he said.
'Pubs, clubs, bars, casinos, cafes and restaurants are high risk for COVID transmission. They are subject to public health order conditions specifically designed to keep them open and keep our communities safe.
'It is public knowledge that COVID clusters have spread rapidly at restaurants and jumped from suburb to suburb. We all need to play it safer - businesses as well as customers.'
The Kingswood Hotel (pictured) near Penrith in Sydney's west breached safety restrictions
The $50,000 in fines issued during last weekend's statewide blitz of 410 venues takes the total number to $70,000.
Liquor & Gaming NSW is working with police to investigate disturbing footage of queues of pub patrons outside the Greengate Hotel on Sydney's north shore on Wednesday night.
Similar scenes were spotted at Double Bay's The Golden Sheaf earlier this month.
The bar popular with university students mid-week was fined $5,500 after a photo went viral showing hundreds of patrons huddled together as they waited in the queue.
Liquor & Gaming NSW believed up to 250 customers failed to comply with social distancing rules in front of the popular bar.
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Tamworth Services Club in regional NSW (pictured) was also busted in the statewide blitz
The public are urged to report any COVID safety breaches they spot at venues to police.
'You never know who is filming or taking photos or when police and inspectors might visit your business,' Mr Dunphy warned.
Eighteen new cases were reported in NSW on Thursday.
Gyms will be subject to new public health orders from August 1.
Customers were seen sprawled down the Pacific Highway as they waited to enter the Greengate Hotel on Wednesday night. The venue is now being investigated
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