So many taverns have the infection cover closed

Then on Wednesday, the municipalities may decide on their own to close taverns that are deemed not to follow the rules of the Public Health Authority.

Before that, power has been with the region's infection prevention doctors, who in the spring and summer 39 times closed a tavern for infection protection reasons, according to a survey from TT.

All the pubs have been able to open again, often within a very short time.

One pub that was allowed to close in early May is the Linnaeus Terrace in Gothenburg. When the decision came, the restaurant management felt that the decision was unfair and said that they should appeal to the administrative court. But the management regretted it.

"We didn't do that because we had to open again after the weekend," says Isabelle Källström, restaurant manager at Linnéterrassen.

When the tavern reopened it was with more distance and plexiglass between some places.

- Now we know we're doing right. There were new rules for everyone and it is very difficult to know how to do because many are questions of interpretation. It was nice to get an approval because we don't want to make mistakes either. So in this way it was also positive that they were here and checked in, says Isabelle Källström.

More than half of the pubs that have been closed are located in the Stockholm region. This is largely due to active environmental management in the City of Stockholm, which has conducted a large number of inspections that have been assessed by the infection protection unit, says Per Follin, infection control physician at the Stockholm region.

- When we closed the first taverns, it had a great signal value. I think a lot of people sharpened with automaticity, he says.

In several regions, however, no restaurant has had to close after deciding from infectious disease doctors. But it has still meant work, says Malin Bengnér, infection control physician at Jönköping County.

- It has been noticeable anyway. I am the sole infection prevention physician in 13 municipalities, so I am happy with this change in the law, where both supervision and decisions are on the same unit, she says.

For the most part, compliance has been good in the region, Bengnér thinks. Although occasional taverns have received remarks.

- But they have changed their working methods and followed the advice on repeated checks. So it has never proceeded to a closure decision, says the infection control physician.