When will pubs reopen in continental Europe?
Europe | As coronavirus cases spiral and highly contagious variants spread, European governments have prolonged lockdown measures.
Germany’s lockdown was extended until 14 February 2021, with new rules also making it mandatory to wear medical masks in shops and on public transport. Restaurants will remain closed, except for takeaway services. 2021 will be a very, very difficult year for hoteliers and retaurateurs, the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) said. It expects that even if vaccination moves quickly, it will take until the third quarter of 2021 for domestic tourism to recover, on which the hospitality sector heavily depends.
Already, the situation in the hospitality industry is dramatic: three-quarters of restaurateurs and hoteliers fear for their existence. In a survey conducted by Dehoga, 75.5 percent of the approximately 12,000 companies surveyed said this was the reason that one in four entrepreneurs (24.9 percent) is even considering a permanent closure.
Aid is not coming
With the so-called “November aids” (Germany’s second lockdown began in early November) the federal government actually wanted to remedy the situation quickly: applicants will receive up to 75 percent of the previous year’s turnover in compensation. Because the restrictions were further tightened in December, a December aid programme was also launched, but the disbursement was massively delayed. Therefore, the government has allowed ailing restaurateurs and hoteliers to defer filing for insolvency while they wait for government payouts.
At the moment, there is also a discussion about whether vaccinated people should be given preferential treatment to enter restaurants. “From our point of view, it is far too early for this discussion,” Dehoga said. “Until enough vaccine is available for everyone, we should not talk about derogation.” First of all, everyone should get vaccinated (if they want to) – this also applies to the employees and entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry.
Elsewhere in Europe
Publicans and restaurateurs complain that lockdown measures have been extended all over Europe, often at short notice. Many fear this stop/start approach could shatter the industry. As chances are slim that restrictions will be unwound anytime soon, industry officials insist on clear communications from governments about how the hospitality sector will be allowed to resume trading.
As things stand, no government can yet give even an approximate opening date for pubs and restaurants. Nor can they say under which restrictions they may eventually re-open. The old rules, which were put into place after the easing of the first lockdown, no longer apply because of the new coronavirus variants.
However, the vaccines could prove a game changer. When Europe’s most vulnerable have all been vaccinated, governments will find themselves under pressure to re-open the hospitality sector.
Meanwhile, in Austria, the lockdown was extended until mid-February. The government will then assess the situation. Re-opening hospitality venues could be postponed at least until March.
Switzerland has extended the compulsory closures of bars and restaurants until the end of February.
Belgium’s current lockdown on the hospitality sector was extended until at least 1 March. In France, restaurants are shut until 6 April and the government has signalled that bars and pubs could shut until June.
In the Netherlands, the lockdown was extended until at least 9 February.
