[ad_1]
Published:
The Södertälje municipality banned gatherings, dancing and crowds in 13 nightclubs.
Now one of the activities has been granted a right in the Administrative Court, which lifts the municipality’s congestion ban.
– There were 150 people in two families who still spend time together every day. I don’t think there is anything wrong, says Alex Roxenhamn, operations manager for the Mona Lisa ballroom, who appealed the decision.
At the end of last year, the municipality of Södertälje alerted that large events were taking place in the nightclubs. On December 22, the municipality decided to ban events with games, conviviality and dancing in 13 nightclubs in Södertälje to limit the spread of covid-19.
If the ban was violated, the local representative would be fined SEK 75,000.
One of the floors affected by the ban was the Mona Lisa. At the end of December, the environment office carried out an inspection and according to the report, about 220 people attended the party. The room’s operations manager, Alex Roxenhamn, appealed the decision.
– It was wrong. We had 250 guests booked, but 150 came. We followed all the guidelines and had alcohol in hand in front of us and the guests sat four people per table, he says.
The company has now been acquitted in court. The Administrative Court annuls the decision of the municipality of Södertälje, which was adopted on the basis of the Act on temporary infection control measures at catering sites, the so-called Congestion Act, which means that catering establishments are obliged to take measures to avoid congestion.
“Being a serious and fast infection”
The Administrative Court also highlights that it is not even certain that a party apartment is counted as a restaurant according to the law.
The decision was made by the president of the environmental committee in consultation with the environmental office and the committee’s presidium. According to the judgment, such a decision can only be made if it is urgent and there is a risk of serious consequences.
– The Administrative Court considers that it is advisable to wait with decision until the next ordinary meeting of the council. We considered it urgent given the great risks we saw to human health. It was a rapid and serious spread of the infection in the municipality when I made the decision, says the president of the environmental committee, Lars Greger (MP).
The municipality also made a decision with reference to the Environmental Code and writes in its decision that it will protect human health from injury or inconvenience and that the board will place special emphasis on venues where many people gather.
“In the aforementioned party halls, large parties and events are organized that carry a greater risk to human health, and then especially in relation to dance or other activities that involve movement in the premises,” the decision stated.
– We are now awaiting information from the County Administrative Board, which is reviewing the decision based on the Environmental Code. We believe that there is still a ban on dancing, as that decision has yet to be proven. We will wait and take this verdict with us before deciding how to proceed, says Lars Greger.
“We are still together every day”
Alex Roxenhamn disagrees with the municipality’s interpretation that dance may be prohibited based on the Environmental Code.
– If you have a wedding, you cannot prohibit the bride and groom from dancing. And there is nothing in the law about it.
But is it reasonable to hold a gathering of 150 people in a pandemic?
– There were two families who still spend time together every day. I don’t think there is anything wrong. Those who coughed or had nausea were not allowed to come. And we had protected ourselves with gloves and rubbing alcohol, he says.
In her appeal, Roxenhamn demanded that the municipality financially compensate the company as they lost revenue during the ban. The Administrative Court rejects that point.
– We will now hire an attorney to recover all losses since December. Then we will go ahead and protect all the regulations and have mainly dinner parties, but not dancing, he says.
Published:
