On July 1, the new law on temporary infection control rules for restaurants came into force. It means that restaurants, cafes and bars have a greater responsibility to ensure that guests keep their distance from each other. Now it is also up to the municipalities to ensure that it is complied with.
- We have just done a check on a restaurant that has received complaints that it is crowded. We had to make a remark about congestion on it, says Mokhtar Kashwa who is an inspector at the City of Stockholm when SVT accompanies him to work on a Friday night. He and his colleagues at the municipality will make a follow-up visit to see that the restaurant is sparse between the tables.
"Many people miss that it should be a meter away"The government has given the municipalities 75 million to be able to carry out inspections of congestion. In connection with the new law coming into force, the Swedish Public Health Agency also clarified its regulations for restaurants.
- There are very many who miss that there should be a meter distance around the whole party and not just between the tables, says Mokhtar Kashwa.
Many municipalities have also launched extensive information campaigns, but despite close dialogue between inspectors and restaurateurs, many restaurants are still crowded.
- When you get it explained to you when they come and do the checks, it is easy to understand. It's just to obey and do the best, says Emil Lindgren who is a waiter at a place that has been visited by municipal inspectors.
It is especially in the metropolitan regions and in tourist-popular places that reports of problems occur. Several restaurants now risk having to pay fines for not correcting what inspectors remarked on, despite repeated checks.
- Most operators want to do the right thing and we see that knowledge about this is increasing very much day after day, but still. It's a lot of work, says Inspector Mokhtar Kashwa.