Precautions for lifting lockdown elsewhere
Singapore, following two months of lockdown, entered phase two – the safe transition period – on the 19th June so that the local population have been able to dine out in restaurants and bars.
In Australia, for example, customer numbers are limited to one per four square metres, with a maximum of 10 customers on the premises overall allowed to stay there for a maximum of two hours.
The author of the report, Sacha Lord, is the Night-Time Economy Manager for Greater Manchester.
He points out that no more than 10 are allowed at one table in Paris with staff and customers obliged to wear masks when moving around and there’s an 11pm closing time. Down the road in Lyon, QR codes are printed onto receipts to permit payment by smart phones.
Finland has reduced premises’ capacity by 50% until November while Israel has made no changes for bars with a capacity of 100 or less. For larger bars, capacity has been reduced to 85% of the original capacity.
Meanwhile Sweden presses on through the Covid-19 pandemic making no changes to hospitality arrangements but expecting the public to be “sensible” about Social Distancing.
Oslo is observing Social Distancing of one metre while (as already reported) Vilnius in Lithuania has aided the local hospitality trade there by opening up pavement areas, squares and even car parks to cafés and bars to help them recover from lockdown.
Innovative ideas have also grown from the crisis. In one case in the Czech Republic, Lubos Kastner, who runs several bars there, has even installed QR codes on the tables to allow menus to be loaded to phones.
And Heineken’s Regional Manager for the West of Ireland Clive Larkin, has been in touch with some of his Heineken colleagues in Croatia, which re-opened last month.
There, the feeling was that while before the re-opening people were nervous at first about going to the pub, his colleagues there report that they’ve adapted well. And while they’re expecting new hygiene and Social Distancing rules, they’re still happy to be back out there socialising, he said.
Elsewhere, Singapore, following two months of lockdown, entered phase two – the safe transition period – on the 19th June so that the local population have been able to dine out in restaurants and bars according to a report in the drinksBusiness.
But mandatory temperature checks have been accompanied by contact tracing for customers with only five allowed at each table which must be Social Distanced by one metre.
Live music performances remain banned and closing time is 10.30pm.
Total Food & Beverage sales in Singapore fell by 53% in April when compared to the same month last year according to the Singapore Department of Statistics.
