They will have been closed for more than six months.
In this epidemic period, bars and restaurants will at best be content to sell take-out.
They are preparing to reopen on May 19, along with cinemas and museums, and under conditions.
For the occasion, the curfew time will be reduced from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"
This is an important moment for our country which has not had access to these café terraces for several weeks,
" said Bruno Le Maire, during a trip on May 18.
But several questions arise.
Read also: Covid-19: How the owners of bars and restaurants are preparing for the reopening
What gauges for reopened establishments?
The government has decided on this on a case-by-case basis.
Cafes and restaurants will have to comply with a 50% gauge.
Establishments with a terrace of less than ten tables will nevertheless not have to respect this gauge, provided that screens or plexiglass are placed between their tables.
“
For small terraces with less than ten tables, the restaurant owner can also organize his terrace by installing a separation to prevent projections between the tables, for example by means of a wall, a panel, a screen, a gardener, at the height of the seated person
”, specifies the Ministry of the Economy in a reinforced protocol for cafes and restaurants, to be consulted on its site.
How much can we be at the table?
For restaurants, and initially, the rules will be strict: no more than six people per table with a ban on drinking while standing.
Will it be necessary to wear a mask?
Yes and no.
Customers seated at the table must wear the mask "
during the order, before serving the first course, and at the time of payment,
" says the document from the Ministry of the Economy.
Finally, the government recommends the use of contactless menus, to limit the risk of contamination.
QR Codes, which make it possible to quickly find an online menu once scanned, will thus be making a big comeback.
Read also: Restaurants, bars and nightclubs: the recovery plan offered by professionals
Will a health pass be required to access bars and restaurants?
No.
The use of the health pass for activities of daily living has been ruled out by the government.
The health pass will only apply to cultural or professional gatherings of more than 1000 people.
A maximum level will be set by the authorities depending on the health situation.
Among the events concerned, trade fairs, concerts, shows, trade fairs, exhibitions, conferences, sporting events and amusement parks.
Read also: In the majority, the use of the health pass is debated
As a reminder, this health pass can take three forms:
a vaccination certificate, issued by the vaccination center or the doctor who performed the two injections,
the result of a recent negative test (PCR or antigen), provided by the laboratory or the pharmacy,
or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.
What about QR Codes?
The executive has a planned time to install QR Codes (which work like bar codes, in square format) at the entrance of establishments open to the public such as restaurants, bars and sports halls.
The government has not yet definitively pronounced itself on the subject and has immediately put this track aside.
In any case, the use of the TousAntiCovid application will not be compulsory to get to the restaurant.
Do you absolutely have to book?
Not necessarily.
But reservations have soared in the most prominent establishments.
In these same restaurants, standing service is not authorized, reserving a table is an almost essential step.
"T
he 5% of the best-rated addresses represented 13% of searches before the Covid crisis, today it is 30%
", noted The Fork (formerly La Fourchette) last week with Le
Figaro
.
The site reports a threefold increase in the number of reservations.
Read also: Opening of the terraces on May 19: the most popular establishments already taken by storm
The phenomenon is nevertheless concentrated on a limited number of establishments.
Other restaurateurs have chosen not to take reservations.
Is there a risk of being contaminated by Covid-19 outdoors?
As recalled by a study by the Institut Pasteur, from December 15, 2020, transmission can be by postilions, during coughing or even speaking.
It is therefore important to avoid “
close and lasting
”
contacts
.
But also in the form of aerosols suspended in the air.
In this case, well-ventilated areas or outdoors present a lower risk of contamination, without the probability falling to zero.
However, the virus remains infectious for several hours on inert surfaces (tables, chairs, etc.).
You must therefore be particularly vigilant in regularly disinfecting your hands.
Can we go to the bathroom
?
No worries, it will be possible to access the toilets inside the establishments, as the sanitary protocol for bars, restaurants and hotel restaurants clearly states: “
customers can go inside the hotel. 'establishment for amenities
'.
It will also be possible to go inside the establishment to access the terrace.
Will it be possible to take alcohol to take away?
No.
Even without a table, some might be tempted to order a drink on the terrace and drink it standing on its side.
If the idea seems attractive, it is prohibited as recalled by the Ministry of the Interior: "
consumption is not authorized in front of the establishment whatever it is
", a measure valid everywhere in France.
Everyone is at fault in the event of non-compliance.
For the manager and consumers, a fine of 135 euros can be imposed by an agent for non-compliance with security measures, the establishment itself risks an administrative closure if the prefect so decides.
At what time will establishments stop serving?
If from Wednesday May 19, the terraces are open until 9 p.m., this does not change the obligation to be at home at the same time. It is therefore important to take travel time into account when leaving the establishment. For their part, the managers have not received "instructions" to stop serving earlier confirms the Union of Trades and Industry of the Hotel (UMIH), "each chef does according to his clientele" .
What are the next steps for these establishments?
After May 19, restaurateurs will quickly turn their gaze to June 9, when they can serve on terraces at 100% of their capacity. The interior also opens, with a gauge of 50%, only seated and with tables limited to six people. Likewise, the curfew will pass to 11 p.m. against 9 p.m. until then.
Finally on June 30, lifting of the curfew and gauges in bars and restaurants. But maintaining barrier gestures and social distancing.
