While the newest set of restrictions established by the government are lighter than what the scientific council recommended, they could have strong effects on restaurants and bars.
The government’s decision on December 3 means all companies and establishments can remain open for now. Based on that, the government does not consider it necessary to implement a support measure for any businesses at this point.
“The government is not planning restrictions that would shut down an entire sector and therefore, support measures are also not in the plans. We talked about it – if we are planning any complete lockdowns, we will certainly discuss support measures,” said Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas (Center).
Restaurants and bars will likely be hit the hardest by the new restrictions, having to limit capacities and close up shop at 10 p.m. instead of midnight.
Ville Jehe, a restaurant owner, said that restaurants had lost 80-85% of their turnover when compared with 2019.
“Now another two hours. We still have a fifth or fourth of our clients remaining, it is incomprehensible. I would like to see the data that show how restaurants are a source of infection. The data do not exist,” Jehe said.
A similar distancing requirement was established for shops and malls, which did not see it as a major problem.
“When I heard the decision, I was actually surprised by its reasonableness. They were not trying to do it based on emotion, but rather a rational and balanced decision,” said Guido Parnits, CEO of the Ulemiste shopping mall. (ERR/Business World Magazine)
