Cabinet committee to discuss reopening of bars, while CBH inspectors will enforce restaurants’ rules for in-house dining

A Cabinet sub-committee has been set up to meet with bar and club owners and discuss the terms and conditions under which they will be allowed to reopen.  

Friday, October 15, will be six weeks since these establishments were closed, ostensibly due to the increase in COVID-19 infections and deaths.

While several other services that were closed in September will resume operations tomorrow, bars still have not been given the green light.  The Cabinet apparently believes these businesses present a higher risk for the spread of the virus.

However, the Executive reports that, during its meeting of October 13, it put in place a sub-committee that will meet next week, via Zoom, with representatives of the bar operators.

In the meantime, Government Spokesperson Lionel “Max” Hurst says, “Especially important is the opening of restaurants, allowing dining-in services, commencing Friday.”

He reminds operators that all patrons entering the business, along with members of staff, must be fully vaccinated.

Customers and business owners who are unvaccinated face hefty fines if they seek to be served within a restaurant, or if they allow a patron who is not inoculated to be seated and served.

To this end, “a hotline for reporting un-vaccinated people entering bars, clubs and restaurants is to be established,” Hurst says.

He adds that eight additional Central Board of Health inspectors, armed with printed tickets, will be on the lookout for persons attempting to break the law.

There will be heightened police vigilance across the country, as well, the Cabinet promises.

Meanwhile, in order to capitalize on the full reopening of the economy, the Cabinet has adjusted the curfew hours to 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.  The new hours come into effect tomorrow, October 15.