It was on March 24 that the Public Health Agency concluded that restaurants, taverns and bars must take certain measures to reduce the spread of covid-19.
"Crowds between people in queues, at tables, buffets or bar counters must not occur, but visitors should be able to keep a distance between each other," says, among other things, on the website of the Public Health Authority.
Despite the rule, many restaurants are filled with visitors who sit tight. The picture is confirmed by Ekot's survey of almost 50 different operations in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö.
"Will not wear tape measure"Now the City of Stockholm is acting. During the Easter weekend, the city will make a targeted oversight effort to counter congestion, both in the inner city and in other parts of the municipality.
- We will not go with tape measure, but make an assessment if it is congestion. Each place is unique, but an arm's length distance between the guests is a good guideline, says Kristine Fornander, acting head of the department of food management at the Environmental Administration in Stockholm city.
If the municipality considers that a restaurant, tavern or bar does not comply with the rules, the owner first gets a dismissal and a chance to correct the error. If the error is not corrected, the case is sent to the infection control physician - who has the last word and can shut down the business if the rules are not followed.
"Signs of non-compliance"It is not only Stockholm city that keeps ears and eyes open, but also the public.
- Now we get many signals that it is not being followed and then it is normal for people to switch to checks, says Anders Tegnell, state epidemiologist at the Public Health Authority at Thursday's press conference.
Gothenburg and Malmö will contact restaurants and cafes about the rules of the Public Health Authority, but they also receive complaints from the public. In Gothenburg and Malmö, however, no supervisory efforts are made during the Easter weekend.