Brisbane lockdown 'heartbreaking' for hospitality workers as JobKeeper 'safety net' gone

Hospitality bosses have warned the "crushing" three-day lockdown in Brisbane will cost tens of millions of dollars as they lament the loss of business right before Easter.

The Restaurant and Catering Industry Association said they fear the lockdown of Greater Brisbane after four new locally-transmitted cases were identified will cause people to lose their jobs as the JobKeeper supplement was no longer there to support them.

They have calculated the three-day snap lockdown to cost as much as $50 million, and predicted $15 million worth of stock will need to be binned now restaurants and cafes are only open to take away.

READ MORE: What you can and can't do in Brisbane lockdown

"This is a heartbreaking, crushing blow to the hospitality sector across South East Queensland," the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association said in a statement.

"With school holidays and Easter just days away, the recently announced lockdown could be the final blow for many businesses who have spent more than 12 months struggling to survive.

"However, this lockdown is different. There is no JobKeeper safety net for these businesses, and little to no support will be forthcoming until after the lockdown is over.

"With one of the busiest tourism periods upon us, this announcement means one thing for thousands of restaurants and cafes across not just greater Brisbane, but all of Queensland: Chaos."

The Association called for more help from state and federal governments for businesses.

Tourism operators were preparing for a bumper Easter with borders finally open in the state.

They remain open, but premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has asked leaders to classify Brisbane as a hotspot meaning some states such as WA have brought in rules for people who have been there.

Only Greater Brisbane has been declared a hotspot, but masks must be worn across the state because one of the infected men was in the city of Gladstone.

The city also went into lockdown over a single case, in a hotel cleaner, in January.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has now told residents a lockdown is the best move to keep Queenslanders safe.

"I know this will mean some disruption to people's lives but we've done this before, and we've got through it over those three days in the past, and if everyone does the right thing, I'm sure that we will be able to get through it again," she said.

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