Perceptions of Employees on Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic in Food and Beverage Industry: A Case Study from North Cyprus

The spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) virus, which causes acute respiratory in-fections, has become widespread worldwide, raising public health concerns. Transmis-sion of the disease occurs through the animal to the human or in the food chain. In addition to the devastating effects of COVID-19, the world is directly affected by the various viruses leading to new challenges, which reduce economic growth and creates a social burden. This thesis focuses on the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on perceptions of em-ployees in food and beverage industry during quarantine and disease outbreaks. The data was collected using a qualitative method by interviewing with employees working at the food and beverage business in İskele, North Cyprus. The results of the study indicate that the Coronavirus pandemic and forced quarantine have hurt the social, economic, and psychological life of employees. The induced damaging effects have been much more tangible on jobs related to the tourism industry. The participants’ perceptions focus on food safety, job security, and psychological impacts under COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: pandemic, COVID-19, food safety, job security, psychological impact, north Cyprus.