In Marseille, the (non) reopening of bars turns into anything big

A bar in Marseille -

• The Umih announced on Monday evening that it had obtained the commitment of the prefect to reopen the bars in Marseille and Aix-en-Provence

• But this Tuesday, the prefect indicates that "consultations" are underway, while the government excludes any reopening.

• In the middle, the professionals of the sector are completely lost.

"We no longer know on which foot to dance."

Behind his counter, in this tapas bar near the Old Port, Greg doesn't hide his annoyance.

Like all professionals in the sector, this server heard about this Monday evening of a possible reopening of bars in Marseille.

The announcement was made by the Union des métiers et des industries de l'hôtellerie (Umih) des Bouches-du-Rhône, on its Facebook page, and by the mayor of Aix-en-Provence, Maryse Joissains, on this same social network.

"At the end of a meeting this Monday with the Prefect and Madam Mayor of Aix-en-Provence, the Prefect authorized the reopening of the bars on Tuesday," says

its president, Bernard Marty

, to 

, in the middle of the day on Tuesday.

“We would return to common law, with a closure at one o'clock in the morning in Aix-en-Provence and two o'clock in Marseille, in accordance with the health protocol.

The prefect is in dialogue and has heard our arguments.

What could he say to respond to the evidence?

"

The ministry rules out any upcoming reopening

Yes but now, on the side of the prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône, the tone is much less categorical.

"There is no decree on the subject," says one.

We are in a phase of negotiation and consultation within the framework of the “review clause”, this famous close which allows the possible opening of establishments closed due to the health crisis, such as bars and restaurants.

“We do not know on the other hand if this possible reopening will take place tomorrow, Sunday or at the end of the decree.

"

Worse still: questioned by 20 Minutes, the cabinet of Olivier Véran, which says itself "on the same position as the prefecture" rules out any reopening of bars in Marseille in the coming days.

“As indicated on Monday, establishments with a drinking establishment and an important catering activity are authorized to reopen in accordance with the sanitary protocol, indicates the Ministry of Health.

The brewery can reopen but on the beer bar outright, there is no change, in accordance with what was decided by the review clause on Sunday.

And there will be no change until the next review clause.

Breweries in the maximum alert zone must therefore close at 10 p.m., and outright bars remain closed.

"

"We don't understand anything"

Trapped in this nameless bazaar, the professionals of the sector are completely lost.

“Me, my boss told me last night that we could reopen as before,” says Cédric *, a waiter in a brasserie in the Old Port.

We are half a restaurant and half a bar.

Before, what we had as instructions is that if you came to drink six pints with friends, you had to have a pizza, something.

There, suddenly, at noon, I served coffee.

And we thought to close as before, after midnight!

We are not kept informed!

Frankly we are lost, we do not understand anything!

"

“When the kitchen is open, people are asked to have tapas,” Greg says.

But there, look, the kitchen is closed, but we are not going to close!

So we serve beers or coffees, like all the colleagues here, around us!

On the neighboring terraces, at the end of the afternoon, the Marseillais take advantage of the still mild temperatures for the month of October to sip a few pints.

"Are we taken for idiots or what?"

"

"In the health protocol, we do not reason in terms of goods consumed," explains the Ministry of Health.

What matters is respect for the sanitary protocol.

Whether I order a coffee or a prime rib, I have to stay at my table, wear the mask and pay the bill sitting down.

An impossible scenario according to this same source in a bar, where the customer would be at the counter and standing.

"They take us for idiots or what," gets carried away Bernard Marty.

Yesterday evening, we could reopen, and this Tuesday, we cannot.

It's a joke !

I trusted what the prefect was saying, who I think is really pissed off because he can no longer meet his commitments.

And today, there are no negotiations in the prefecture, or else, I am not in!

"

And to accuse: “I would like to be listened to, instead of listening to Paris which puts pressure on Marseille to close the bars!

Under the pretext that Paris is closing, we can't open?

We use Marseille to settle accounts or whatever, but we have been closed for eight days!

And we only ask that one thing is to be able to work!

"

* The first name has been changed

• Marseilles

• Coronavirus

• Opening

• Closing

• Bar