Date Published: 25/05/2020
ARCHIVED - 50 percent capacity for restaurants and bars in the Murcia region from Monday
ARCHIVED ARTICLE Phase 2 begins with increased capacity for the hostelry sector
The hostelry sector has been amongst the worst hit by the 2 month closure of businesses due to the Covid crisis and business owners face several months of hard work if they are to stand any chance at all of recovering from the financial blows of the lockdown.
Thousands of sector workers are still laid off from work and business owners are using the ERTE temporary redundancy scheme to lay off part of their staff until they are permitted to re-open fully. For many in the hostelry sector, the next few weeks will be crucial as they attempt to balance the fixed running costs of the business against their limited capacity, and with the average value of each unit of sale being low, finding a level of balance which covers their overheads but doesn´t leave clients without the level of service they expect, will be challenging.
For many, complying with hygiene restrictions, being forced to clean toilets every time somebody uses them, paying for additional protective equipment, screens and masks, is nothing but additional cost for their business and with turn-over restricted by capacity limitations, and no aid for the sector, the next few weeks will require a major feat of balancing to keep all the balls in the air,
Although hostelry businesses were permitted to partially re-open during phase zero and phase one, only those with outdoor terrace space have been able to do so, but now that the Region of Murcia is moving into phase two, all bars and restaurants will be permitted to re-open, but only to 50% of their capacity.
At least in this phase both indoor and outdoor space can be used, although restaurants must assure that client safety is guaranteed by the spacing of tables and the hygiene measures undertaken in the premises.Businesses must undertake to "guarantee the distance" between clients or risk a fine.
Originally the Ministry of Health had limited the capacity to 40%, but protest from the sector that it would be unviable to open with less than 50% have resulted in yet another amendment to the conditions published, enabling the regional governments to make their own decisions about how far they allow businesses to go in this intermediate phase.
The Murcian regional Government has opted for 50%.
Booking is highly recommended as restaurants will be under pressure to comply with the regulations.
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