George Street crowds have premier calling for common sense, as others fear COVID-19 resurgence

In the wake of photos of Saturday night crowds at George Street clubs circulating on social media and drawing condemnation, the premier has weighed in, saying he is not impressed with the situation.

"We expect people to be responsible. We expect adults to make good, responsible decisions, and just follow common sense," Premier Dwight Ball said Monday.

"Some of the images that I saw over this weekend is not something that illustrates to me that people were making responsible decisions."

Widely shared photos depict people packed together, waiting in line outside the clubs Konfusion and Rob Roy. Pictures from the inside of Konfusion show clubgoers packed shoulder to shoulder, and spilling out onto the patio.

Like many people commenting on social media, St. John's Centre MHA Jim Dinn was angry when he saw pictures from the crowded George Street club strip on Saturday night.

"This is not what I would call safe behaviour and I think the province needs to get a hold of that," said Dinn, a New Democrat.

Hundreds of people reacted to the images on Facebook and Twitter, saying it was unfair for families and businesses to follow rules over the COVID-19 pandemic, while clubs allowed people to flout physical distancing guidance.

Ball said he and public health officials will meet with people responsible for the businesses regarding the enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines, including a meeting Monday afternoon with Service NL.

"We're trying to work with those businesses to get them open because we know that they've been dealt a difficult business impact," he said. "This is not the appropriate way to respond. We can do better."

According to rules from the provincial government, bars that do not comply with public health orders can receive a fine between $5,000 and $50,000 for a first offence.

"There is a responsibility on both owners and patrons who choose to go to nightclub establishments, to follow Public Health Guidelines," the Department of Health and Community Services wrote in a statement to CBC News.

Bars respond

In a statement from Rob Roy and Konfusion, club management said its staff are working hard to ensure a safe environment inside their buildings, while public authorities are "leading all governance" on people distancing outside.

However, management said there is still work to be done as they work to establish "a new normal."

"In these early days of trying to get things right, issues and opportunities for improvement are presenting themselves left and right," part of the statement read.

"We are committed to our loyal patrons, our hard-working staff, and the public to get things right as we continue to establish our new normal in the face of these challenges."

Meanwhile, Don-E Coady, the communications and marketing director of the George Street Association, said nobody has been ticketed or fined by the police for the Saturday night crowds.

"I would say that the moments that people are seeing are upsetting for the members involved, as we are trying our best to deal with the unexpected realities as well as our best-laid plans when it comes to how to open in a socially safe environment," Coady told CBC Radio's St. John's Morning Show.

According to the Newfoundland and Labrador government's guidelines for re-opening businesses, it is only recommended that bars reduce capacity to 50 per cent. It is not an order enforced by law.

The guidelines, however, do state that dance floors are not permitted. Video from inside Konfusion on Saturday shows people dancing with loud music and flashing lights.

Coady said everyone will do their best to make sure it doesn't happen again. He also said it's not just on the establishments but also on patrons to avoid crowded scenarios.

He compared the level of demand on George Street to a game of red rover, saying people are rushing towards the bars at peak hours while staff tries to hold them back.

It's the second week in a row that crowds on George Street have drawn the ire of the public and government officials.

Last Monday, Dr. Janice Fitzgerald, the province's chief medical officer of health, said she was "deeply concerned" about the crowds that were observed in St. John's bars.

Yoga instructor calls out perceived double-standard

Dinn said he's especially concerned given that the province is now open for tourists from other Atlantic provinces, while Prince Edward Island is now dealing with a new outbreak.

"We're creating a perfect storm. We're opening up the province now … and there's no guarantee people from other provinces won't come in from some loophole. We've got our own restrictions loosening up," he said.

"All it takes is one traveller bringing something into a situation like we saw on George Street, and good luck tracking it down."

Yoga instructor Melanie Caines was also surprised to see the pictures, but for a different reason.

She's been holding open air yoga sessions on the grounds of Government House, trying to promote health for people who have been stuck inside for months.

Despite operating on a 22-acre property, Caines is only allowed to have 50 people take part. She has to turn people away each day.

"I feel so bad, and I know it's not my fault — I'm only following guidelines —but I feel terrible," she said.

Caines said it doesn't make sense that bars can operate at half capacity, which could be dozens or even hundreds of people inside a building, but she can only have an outdoor gathering of 50 people.

Limiting public gatherings to 50 or fewer is a public health order, while reducing bars to half capacity is only a recommendation.

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