Tavern restrictions may extend into the summer.

“We must persevere and persevere. Continuous measures are needed to curb the spread of the infection,” writes Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren (S) to TT. Stock Photography.Image: Fredrik Sandberg / TT

The government wants to extend infection control measures in restaurants until July 1 next year, according to a memorandum from the Ministry of Social Affairs. In fact, the current law will expire at the end of the year, but now it is proposed that the restrictions that apply from this summer to, among other things, bars and restaurants continue.

“We have to persevere and persevere. Continuous measures are needed to curb the spread of the infection,” writes Social Affairs Minister Lena Hallengren (S) to TT. She continues:

“We propose that the current legislation for restaurants be expanded, with the same rules that now apply to counteract congestion and the spread of infections in, for example, restaurants and bars. This is important, because service points are places where you stay for a long time and close to many others, which increases the risk of infection ”.

As early as March, regulations were issued allowing restaurants to remain open, while congestion was countered. It was a solution that needed to be implemented quickly, according to the minister.

“To give more perseverance to the regulations and to give better guidance to restaurateurs, the government drafted a law that has been in effect since last summer. That legislation expires at the end of the year, but is therefore considered to be in effect until the end of June next year. That is why we refer to this proposal. The Swedish Public Health Agency recommends that the law be expanded, “writes Hallengren.

After the referral, the government, as usual, will analyze the comments received. The idea is then to present a bill with the proposal to extend the law.

With the news came, unsurprisingly, no shouts of joy from restoration and restoration.

– We are very surprised and upset that the government is getting away with this without dialoguing with us. It’s inconceivable that this could be done with industries that are already suffering, says Jonas Siljhammar, CEO of the industrial organization Visit.

Unlike the proposal in question, the industry expected a relaxation of restrictions during the fall.

– Instead, we get this. Of course, public health comes first, but with the contagious situation we have today, it’s more a matter of turning the wheels of many different industries back on track, including restaurants and eateries, says Siljhammar.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the industry has suffered a “huge loss of revenue.” If the restrictions continue, massive bankruptcies are likely. So far this year, more than 50,000 people in the industry have lost their jobs or been notified, according to Siljhammar.

– I am very questioning how the government knows what the situation will be like with the spread of the infection next summer, he says.