The recreation centres’ association (Pasika) on Saturday described as unfair this week’s tightening of the operation regulations for bars and restaurants arguing that the majority was being punished for the disobedience of a small minority.
Head of Pasika, Fanos Leventis, told Cyprus News Agency that it was unfair to punish everyone for the failure by some to follow the rules.
“For the violations of the very few, the whole industry is being unfairly punished,” he said.
He was referring to the decision this week by the health ministry to tighten regulations for the operation of bars and restaurants by setting a new maximum of 75 persons indoors and 150 outdoors.
This follows the repeated refusal by Nava, a bar-restaurant in Protaras, last weekend to follow the health protocols by organising events and allowing scores of its customers to dance and completely ignore social distancing rules. Famagusta district court closed Nava for a week on Tuesday.
Pasika had called on its members to adhere to the regulations and health protocols, Leventis said, and very few failed to comply.
These few businesses, however, prompted the health ministry to issue a new protocol with even stricter regulations, he said.
The rule which stipulated three square metres per person indoors and two square metres per person outdoors remains unchanged as well as a maximum of 10 persons per table, but the number of total people a venue can cater for has been reduced. If a business was allowed to serve 200 people or more outdoors prior to the change, now it can host up to 150.
“Many places that were already operating are in a difficult position with a drastic reduction in their ability to accommodate a sufficient number of guests so that their businesses are viable,” he said adding that some did not open at all exactly for the same reason.
He added that some businesses offering music and dancing have not been allowed to reopen yet and do not know when they will be able to do so.
Leventis also called on the deputy minister for tourism to put a stop to the booking of businesses that do not yet have the necessary permits because the local authorities have yet to issue them. This was “unacceptable”, since the businesses are not responsible for the delays.
He said police were booking business owners even when they presented confirmations that they filed for permits or payment receipts for their applications.
Leventis said permits that expired last year ought to have been automatically renewed.
He also chastised police’s attempts to confiscate music speakers and bookings for noise pollution when businesses do not have the necessary permits, which, he said, many municipalities have no idea how to issue. Leventis said local authorities ought to have been ready to do so since January 2017 when a relevant law went into force.
Leventis also expressed concerns over the intention by the government to raise penalties on businesses breaking health protocols set in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Though the decision to categorise businesses according to their size was positive, he said, the fact that their capacity is shrinking should be taken into account.
Justice Minister Giorgos Savvides presented on Friday to MPs revisions to the draft bill to raise fines on businesses according to which businesses would now receive out-of-court fines based on their size rather than across-the-board, which could decimate smaller businesses given the high penalties involved.
