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More and more bars and restaurants are closing their doors in Oslo. It’s only in the last few weeks that popular venues like Blå, Elsker, Cafe Christiania and Nieu Scene Soria Moria have been known to be closed indefinitely.
On Friday, City Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) reported on various infection control measures. It was said, among other things, that restaurants can remain open, but cannot serve alcohol.
At the same time, the authorities’ own reports show that people are not infected in restaurants (see below in the case).
Depressed mood
In Oslo’s venerable Gamle Raadhus, the atmosphere is depressing. A year ago there was full activity in the kitchen, but now only a couple of chefs are on the move.
40 guests are waiting tonight. Last year there were usually 200 guests at the party.
Right now, the situation looks bleak.
– What do you think of the new measures?
– It’s the door hook for at least three weeks, and I hope it’s like that for the rest of Christmas as well. There is a well-founded fear of the virus among people, says Eirik Strøm Lillebø, one of the restaurant’s owners.
When Dagbladet called right after Friday’s press conference, Lillebø was going to a management meeting. There they will decide if they can stay awake in the coming weeks. Lillebø couldn’t give a final answer, but said it looks really bad:
– We probably also have to cancel the Christmas tables. It seems painful right now. It’s one thing that half of the billing disappears when you can’t drink alcohol, but who really wants to go out now?
He continues:
– We hope it works. We must grit our teeth and hope that there is a support scheme that allows restaurants to be open the day the virus disappears.
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Yesterday they received 70 table cancellations until Christmas. Tomorrow 90 fewer guests will arrive than expected at the beginning of the week. This is traditionally the busiest season of the year and should be welcomed after a difficult year.
– We are talking to all vendors now about opportunities to return products if we get more cancellations. Some are positive, but it is not always possible to return products, says Christian Honstad, Gamle Raadhus head chef.
He emphasizes that, of course, they stand up and take their share of the national charity to limit the infection, but that it is time for politicians to open their eyes to the vulnerable industry.
– Now we’re pretty desperate. There are limits to how long we can endure the current situation. It is not just the economy of the restaurant that concerns them. So are the employees.
– Brutal effect
Restaurants are already subject to various restrictions. For example, now it is not allowed to move freely in a restaurant without a mask. Only when you sit down can you take it off.
For chefs working in open restaurants, this means that the nozzle must be on at all times.
The restaurants that are still open notice very well that there are fewer guests around the tables.
– Of course this will have a brutal effect on our operations, Sebastian Myhre told Dagbladet a few days ago.
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He also said he was happy to see that authorities might well come with a pat on the back to an industry that is struggling with strong headwinds.
– All serious players work hard to meet all the requirements that have been set for us. In several cases, we have also gone beyond the requirements imposed, Myhre said.
It does not help much in the situation that the authorities indicate that one should stay away.
No infection proven in restaurants
In all restaurants, you are now encouraged to log your visit electronically, so that tracking for any infection is as efficient as possible.
Still: according to a recent Health Service report, hardly a single case of infected people in restaurants is known. (At the same time, it should be emphasized that people who work as waiters and bartenders have had relatively high infection rates.)
– Isn’t it special to be so strict with the industry when there is such a small spread of infection here?
– Since restaurants and bars are a scene with a high risk of infection, it has been very important to find good infection control measures for this industry, says business advisor Victoria Marie Evensen, who will also praise the industry for its efforts:
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– The Municipality of Oslo has worked closely with the industry to find good infection control rules and where the vast majority of companies have complied very well with them. These measures have obviously had a good effect in the sense that there are a low number of infected people who can be traced back to nightlife, Evensen says:
– The subway rule applies to all parts of society, affects the nightlife industry particularly harshly and limits capacity. In addition, Oslo has chosen to reduce service times, because we know that it is more difficult to maintain distance throughout the night with a higher alcohol intake, he adds. It also urges the government to consider compensation schemes for the nightlife industry in particular:
– So I am concerned that the industries that suffer the most are also compensated in a good and precise way. State compensation schemes are good in many areas, but they hit this industry hard. We have communicated this to the Minister of Commerce and Industry this week and I hope that there are now plans to ensure a vibrant nightlife in Oslo even after the coronavirus.
