The night must revise the day ": the owners of nightclubs who are not authorized to reopen their establishments before September, because of the coronavirus pandemic, threatened Saturday to attack this decision at the Council of State. Matignon announced in the night from Friday to Saturday an acceleration of the deconfinement with the reopening on Monday of cinemas, holiday centers, casinos or games rooms and, from July 11, that of stadiums with a maximum number of 5,000 spectators, but keeps closed until in September at least fairs, exhibitions, shows, discos and international maritime cruises.
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"The government signs the death warrant of nightclubs," said Saturday the Union of hotel trades and industries (UMIH), one of the employers' organizations of 1,500 French nightclubs.
"No more dangerous to go dancing than going to the movies"
"We had to be announced a reopening date for the summer with security protocols and we had nothing, it's incomprehensible, it's no more dangerous to go dancing than going to the movies, take the plane or the train, "said Laurent Lutse, president of the cafes, brasseries and nightclubs branch at UMIH.
According to him, "wild parties" and private parties "where alcohol flows freely" are "multiplying" via the rental of properties transformed into "ephemeral cultural places", without any supervision related to the Covid or to drug consumption or alcohol, while the discotheques which have "trained professionals" to manage the overflows on the public highway are "in agony". "This is unfair competition," added Laurent Lutse. "If the Prime Minister's decision was ratified by an implementing decree, the UMIH could attack the decree as soon as it appears before the Council of State," said the employers' organization in a press release.
The National Union of Discotheques and Places of Leisure (SNDLL) has also "rebelled against the continued closure of discotheques". "Such a measure ignores the guarantees provided by the profession and the real conditions of operation of these healthier establishments healthier than the overflows of all kinds which currently take place on the festive level!", Regretted this other professional federation of the sector.
Industry calls for "urgent financial measures"
The SNDLL also said it was "prepared to attack before the Council of State the text which confirms the new situation", while asking for "urgent financial measures to help the only commercial sector thus put to the bench of the market economy ".
The continued closure of nightclubs over the summer was decided during a National Defense and Security Council on Friday. The Minister of Health Olivier Véran noted that the indicators for monitoring the epidemic "remain generally well oriented" but estimated that "vigilance remains strong, however".