The purpose of the new law is to ensure that serving places take responsibility for complying with the legal requirements to reduce the spread of covid-19, Skellefteå Municipality writes in a press release.

Previously, the infectious surgeon had the power to close taverns, but now it is instead the municipalities who can do so if a tavern does not follow the advice and guidelines of the Public Health Authority.

- We check the distance between different parties, queues at entrances, bars etc. If the operations are not able to prevent congestion, then they may need to bring in more guards or entrance hosts, says Tomas Karlsson at Umeå Municipality.

During a few weekends, Umeå will make a number of visits.

Over 100 complaints

In Umeå, since week 14, more than 100 complaints have been received from private individuals about congestion in restaurants, malls, cafes or baths. But the supervision from the municipality only applies to places where food or drink is served.

Skellefteå municipality writes in the press release that “It is the operator's responsibility to inform their guests and to arrange their premises so that the guests do not need to be crowded. But the responsibility to follow the guidelines that the restaurant or cafe informs still lies with the individual ”.

Next week another new law will come into force to make it easier for municipalities to know what to look for.

See more about the upcoming team in the clips above.