Covid-19: restaurants in France will not be able to open until January, bars in uncertainty

French President Emmanuel Macron announced yesterday new measures to combat Covid-19, in which the closure of restaurants is confirmed until January 20.

The new restrictions imposed by the French government concern the relaxation of departure times and distance of travel. As well as the reopening of non-essential stores (flower stores, toy shops, bookshops…). A new stage of de-confinement, if all goes well, will be applied on December 15, lifting restrictions on travel but maintaining a curfew from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am. Also, museums, theaters and cinemas will be able to open again from this date.

The news is however bitter for bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Heavily hit since the beginning of the crisis in March, they have gone through a series of stages of reopening and closing and very restrictive conditions until their indefinite closure at the end of October. Unfortunately they will not be able to open during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays, a strong moment of the year in terms of profits and whose closure weighs on the turnover of these businesses.

Rue de Lappe, in the 11th district, a street known for its many bars and nightlife

During his speech, Emmanuel Macron made it clear that the restaurants will be able to open from January 20th. However, no date was announced for the bars, leaving them in total uncertainty.

Restaurateurs such as Massimo Mori, interviewed by France 2, complains about not opening during this period. “We put plexiglas in place so that people can be safe. We invested a lot of money in the requirements to remain open, and now, it’s a scandal, since we can’t open“.

According to Bejamin Davido, an infectious disease specialist, the closure of bars and restaurants is a consistent measure. “This seems to be unfortunately logical. It is in the places where we do not wear a mask that we contaminate ourselves the most“. Other measures, such as physical distance, seem to be difficult to comply with in these establishments.

 

Don’t drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly.

 

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