Ile-de-France restaurants, which can only use their terraces, could reopen "a little earlier than June 22" if the health situation changes favorably, said the Secretary of State for Tourism on Tuesday. Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. "With regard to restaurants, it seems to me that changes in health conditions in Île-de-France, the gradual decline in the virus, should make it possible, I hope, to advance the reopening of restaurants by a few days together, "he said in an interview with France 24 and RFI.
The government says it is "attentive to the situation of restaurateurs"
This possible reopening "a little earlier than June 22" must be decided in agreement with the Ministry of Health in particular, recalled the Secretary of State, stressing that the government was "attentive to the situation of restaurateurs in Île- of France". "Perhaps, in a few days, we will be able to estimate that the conditions are met to accelerate from this point of view," insisted Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne.
"I continue to work with restaurateurs and a number of tourism professionals who are still hampered", even closed, as in "events or the night sector, on reopening procedures," he said. precise.
The main union in the sector is stepping up
The day before, the Umih, the main union in the hotel and restaurant sector, had asked that cafes, bars and restaurants in Île-de-France and the other two "orange" zones, Guyana and Mayotte, be able to "reopen quickly ", judging that their exploitation," limited to the only terraces ", was" not profitable ". The Union of hotel trades and industries wants the government to assess the spread of the epidemic before June 22 - the date set for a review of the health situation -, saying that the scientific council "recommends a return to the 'balance between health precautions and the resumption of economic life ".
"A general relaxation of the health protocol" called for
The employers' union also wants a "general relaxation of the health protocol throughout the territory", where cafes, bars and restaurants have reopened, in particular "the rules for distancing tables to allow establishments to use their full capacity to receive public".
The sector, which has 168,000 restaurants, 38,800 bars or cafes and 6,000 night establishments in France, was severely damaged by two and a half months of closure due to the health crisis.