Italy: restaurant owners angry at the closure of their establishments from 6 p.m.
Demonstration by restaurateurs against government restrictive measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, in Rome, Wednesday October 28, 2020. AP Photo / Andrew Medichini
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Italy has 300,000 restaurants, the most numerous of which are in Lombardy and the Rome region.
Since October 26 and at least until November 24, they are closed from 6 p.m.
The government's goal is to try to slow the circulation of the virus.
But it could be the final blow for 40% of restaurant owners.
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With our correspondent in Rome,
Anne Le Nir
Italians will never dine in a restaurant at 4 or 5 p.m., as confirmed by Giuseppe Terzi, owner of the Osteria Gran Sasso, founded by his parents in 1965 in the historic center of Rome.
“
People come at 9 pm.
Just before the last decree, we had 50 covers per evening.
Almost 60% of our turnover.
"
On the other side of the Tiber, at the French Square, worry and anger mix, tells us Morgane Mahé.
“
Here we could accommodate 90 people at the same time and there we are on 30. It is the coup de grace, very clearly, slowly.
"
In fact, protests from restaurateurs are increasing.
“
I'm exasperated, angry.
The government is taking action that makes no sense and is using us as scapegoats to justify its inability.
Know that there are so many people who cannot take it anymore,
”explains Elio Grillotti, who took part in a rally in the shadow of the Pantheon.
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Read also: Covid-19: in Italy, demonstrations against the new restrictive measures
Giuseppe Conte has promised rapid aid amounting to 5.4 billion euros for the sectors most penalized by anti-Covid restrictions.
But it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to avoid a social bomb.
Estimates from Confcommercio, the Italian confederation of traders, put the losses in this sector at more than 30 million euros since the general confinement between March 9 and May 18.
►
See also: Covid-19: faced with a record number of contaminations, Italy strengthens its restrictions
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