Restaurants, Bars Call For Easing Of Covid Measures

Struggling restaurant and bar owners on Wednesday urged the government to ease social-distancing measures on the coronavirus-ravaged catering industry and allow them to expand their services over the Lunar New Year holidays.

At the moment, bars have been ordered shut while restaurants must cease dine-in services after 6pm, and these measures are scheduled to remain in place until February 17.

But at a press conference, a group of affected businesses proposed a five-day ‘trial period’ starting from February 9, where bars can reopen and restaurants can keep serving customers in the evening.

They also want the two-person-per-table requirement to be eased, to allow smaller families to dine out together.

Marcus Liu, who said the effects of the pandemic forced him to close down one of his four cafes, said this is a good opportunity for the authorities to evaluate whether the restrictions are needed at all.

“After two weeks, let’s see if the infected cases directly relate to these gatherings [at restaurants and bars]… right now the prohibition order is a bit too much and it would kill the whole industry,” he said.

Another business owner at the press conference, Lisa Wong, runs a dumpling chain, but closed nine of her ten outlets during the pandemic.

They’re worried that there will be another wave of closures after the New Year break.