March 13, 2020

COVID-19 and St. Patrick’s Day

Posted by: Old Triangle Halifax

Update March 15th 2020 7:56pm

For Immediate Release:

This afternoon the Province of Nova Scotia and the Department of Health issued updated guidelines for the hospitality industry. With St. Patrick’s Day only 48 hours away, the following establishments have jointly decided that it is in the best interest of all concerned if local St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are postponed. As a result Finbar’s Irish Pub, The Celtic Corner, Durty Nellie’s and The Old Triangle along with the Old Triangle Sydney and Governors Pub in Sydney have decided to postpone their traditional St. Patrick’s Day festivities including early opening, and tentatively re-scheduled them for May 17th 2020.

All establishments will continue to operate on their regular business hours while adhering to the guidelines proposed in today’s press conference regarding social distancing and group gatherings. While we continue to uphold the highest level of health and hygiene standards in our establishments we also encourage our guests to be vigilant and responsible.

We are all very hopeful that the preventative measures taken by government and the public will limit the pain caused by this outbreak. Happy St. Patrick’s Day seems inappropriate at the moment but we do wish all of our guests, friends, staff and families the very best as we face an uncertain immediate future. We’re all in this together.

To all of our Valued Guests

Over the past number of days we have had queries regarding the COVID-19 virus. As independent businesspeople responsible for the employment of over 80 staff we have been working hard to balance the needs of the public with the needs of our staff and their families.

In our business we do not have the luxury of working from home. We are aware of the concerns of our staff and guests and indeed share them, despite the fact that there have been thus far been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our province. We all have families and elderly relatives and keeping them safe is the upmost concern of our entire team.

With regards to St. Patrick’s Day, every year we are asked “what are you doing for Paddy’s Day?” St. Patrick’s Day is a fantastic day for the celebration of all things Irish – food, beverage, music and culture. It isn’t something we do, it exists. We strive to make it the best possible day for all of our guests. Aside from actually shutting our doors – a measure which would result in the unemployment of all of our Old Triangle staff – there will likely be a large number of guests waiting at our doors on Tuesday morning. We intend to fully comply with the measures of the Department of Health as related in the provincial government’s press conference this morning March 13th. As a result, we have implemented the following measures.

We will limit the capacity of The Old Triangle to less than 150 guests at one time until further notice. We have instituted additional sanitizing measures in washrooms, handrails and other public surfaces on a set visible schedule several times a day. We also have sanitizer and tissues placed throughout the premises to assist guests with avoiding possible contamination. We have posted signage in all of our washrooms advising guests of correct handwashing procedures – along with songs to sing during the process (we are an Irish bar after all!) We will monitor the situation on a daily basis and if deemed necessary by heath authorities, we will update our procedures accordingly.

As food service operators, restauranteurs already maintain higher than average levels of cleanliness and hygiene in their establishments based on rigorous health and safety regulations. We also have strict written policies regarding sickness whereas no staff are allowed to work if they exhibit any signs of illness.

This virus has not reached our little corner of the world as of yet, but it will. We all are hopeful that the preventative measures taken by government and the public will limit our exposure and its consequences. In the meantime, we encourage all of our guests to be vigilant and responsible without undue anxiety. We will always put the safety, security and health of our staff, guests and their families ahead of all other considerations.

Thank you.

The Doherty Family