Hospitality NL is pleased with the return to Alert Level 2 this weekend and the reopening of the Atlantic Bubble next month.

Most bars and restaurants that have weathered the storm are expected to reopen to in-person dining this weekend albeit at half capacity.

Brenda O’Reilly says the tourism industry has been the first hit and the hardest hit and will be the longest to recover from the pandemic.

She says losing Valentines week and St. Patrick’s Day this winter after a difficult summer, was just another blow.

O’Reilly says while many operators have been open through the pandemic, it’s been at reduced capacity and “everyone is losing money.”