A new round of Covid-19 restrictions is a “body blow” to the hospitality sector’s bid to bounce back from the crisis, a top restaurateur said last night.

Phillip Barnett of Island Restaurant Group, which owns the Hog Penny, Brew and the Pickled Onion in Hamilton, as well other restaurants around the island, said: “We are incredibly frustrated.

“After expensive and then painstaking efforts to mitigate and manage risk, our industry is ultimately proving to be one of the safest and well regulated ones.

“Yet here we are getting penalised again by the actions of others completely beyond our control.”

Bars and clubs are not allowed to offer indoor seating and restaurants will be required to limit tables to no more than six customers.

The curfew has been moved to 11pm from midnight, which will force many bars and restaurants to close earlier.

A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Tourism Authority said yesterday they would review how the new restrictions would affect the Bermuda Al Fresco Dining Festival, which was scheduled to launch on Thursday.

Mr Barnett said that the changes would slow the momentum the industry had worked hard to build since the onset of the pandemic a year ago.

He added: “We respect that Government has had an incredibly hard job managing this pandemic and we recognise that difficult decisions must be made that penalise certain industries for the greater good.

“But our sector’s sacrifices have been endless.

“Our industry has always been a bootstrapping one where we historically have just worked harder to overcome challenges, but if we are restricted to get people in the door, we can’t work harder.”

Mr Barnett said: “We will need sustained and significant help to over time put us back in a fighting chance of survival.”

He added that the restrictions would hurt bars and clubs, but that he was grateful that restaurants could still offer indoor seating.

Mr Barnett said: “We beg everyone to do their part to stop the spread – mask up, keep distant and get vaccinated.

“Our staff desperately need everyone’s help to get back to work.”

The new restrictions were announced by David Burt, the Premier, on Saturday after it was revealed another 16 coronavirus cases had been confirmed.

The restrictions – to remain in force for at least three weeks – will also reduce the number of people allowed at gatherings from 25 to ten.

All personal care services will require a mask to be worn at all times and gyms must ensure clients keep ten feet apart.

Church services will be cut to 20 per cent or normal capacity and outdoor services, including funerals, will be restricted to 20 people.

The curfew for boats out on the water will stay at 8pm.

Mr Burt said he had asked Curtis Dickinson, the finance minister, to renew the special supplementary unemployment benefit for employees who would be hit by the change.

Mr Burt added: “All affected employees of businesses that are unable to open will receive payments up to a maximum of $1,500 this week.

“Any affected businesses will be eligible for grants to cover expenses and overheads as was done by the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation in December.”

Mr Burt said: “Our whole approach is about balance. We have to strike the right balance between protecting the Island and keeping this economy open, and moving towards recovery.

“We can and must do both.“

He added the tougher restrictions were designed to prevent a worsened situation as the pandemic had shown that “early action prevents longer periods of restrictions”.

Mr Burt said: “The highly contagious UK strain, which is the source of this outbreak, must be met with early action … the restrictions announced today will be in effect for at least three weeks.

He emphasised: “We are doing well as a country, and our successes are in no way diminished by our current circumstances.

“The Ministry of Health, from the Minister to those vaccinating our people, is leading an effort on all fronts to ensure that we can achieve that balance.

“We are well-positioned to meet this most recent challenge and to continue the work of rebuilding this economy.”

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said that “almost all” of the new cases were the UK variant, which is more virulent.

She added: “We cannot risk this current outbreak powered by the UK strain becoming the third wave of infections in Bermuda.

“The measures are serious, but this action will enable us to slow the transmission of the virus while we work to continue our vaccination programme, which is vital in defeating the virus.”