Easing of corona rules in NRW What you can expect at restaurants starting on Monday

Düsseldorf · Although eating establishments will be allowed to open this coming Monday, not all will choose to do so. Restaurants and their visitors will have to oblige by new regulations designed to keep people safe.

  Eating establishments will be allowed to open but some new regulations will be in place.

Eating establishments will be allowed to open but some new regulations will be in place.

Foto: dpa/Jean-Christophe Bott

At first, there was a big sigh of relief after the government gave permission to reopen restaurants, but this was followed by some uncertainty about what should and should not be allowed. Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), Minister of Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, spoke on Thursday about the regulations that will be valid from Monday onwards.

Which eating establishments are allowed to open beginning on May 11?

Restaurants and other eating establishments are allowed to open, provided that indoors and/or outdoors compliance with the the spacing requirement is ensured and the establishments have an infection protection and hygiene concept in place. Buffets with unpackaged foods are not permitted. For bars, clubs, discotheques and brothels, no opening date has been specified yet. At bars and pubs, service is not allowed at the bar counter.

Does a reservation make sense?

Most restaurants are dealing successfully with advance orders and reservations. But with burger chains and other fast food restaurants this is difficult. "The introduction of mandatory reservations is hardly feasible for these types of businesses or the general nature of chain eateries. It isn’t practiced by guests (to some extent) because of the business models”, explains the Bundesverband der Systemgastronomie (Federal Association of Restaurant Chains).

Is there a limit to the group size?

No, but only people from a maximum of two different households may come together. There must be a minimum distance of 1.5 meters to the next table.

Will every restaurant open on Monday?

Definitely not. The smaller the establishment, the less worthwhile the opening might be.

How and where is mouth protection worn?

For waiters and kitchen staff who serve guests, there are mostly no exceptions to the mandatory face mask. In most cases, guests have to wear mouth and nose masks when entering and leaving the restaurant.

What about the menus?

As a rule, menus are disinfected after each use. The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (Dehoga) has recommended its members to shrink-wrap the menu cards.

How do the restaurants maintain the minimum safety distances?

Many have put markings on the floor so that customers can better see how close they are allowed to come. The same applies to the restrooms, where waiting times for guests could be considerably longer.

What is permitted in terms of tourism from May 11 onwards?

Tourist stays in holiday apartments, holiday homes and on campsites (subject to social distancing restrictions). Leisure and recreational parks can open, excursion boats, tourist information offices, bicycle and boat rentals.

What will be changing in the retail industry as of this coming Monday?

Shops will be allowed to open regardless of their size, while maintaining the rules of distance and hygiene. For "body-related services" such as massage studios, cosmeticians and tattoo studios, infection protection concepts still have to be worked out in order to allow for a step-by-step approval process.

What comes next?

From May 18 onwards, hotels will be reopened for tourists. A mandatory hygiene protection concept is still to be drawn up.

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