From tomorrow, March 1, there will be a stop for parties that apply to restaurants and cafes that do not have their own entrance, ie located in malls and large department stores.

The idea is to make the regulations for that type of space similar, Jon Pelling writes on the Public Health Agency's press service in an email to SVT News.

The Swedish Public Health Agency recently recommended that you also shop in stores one by one and not in company.

- We recommend that you go shopping and shop alone and in the same way we see that in malls and shopping centers you should only sit yourself in restaurants and cafes that are inside these malls and shopping centers.

Different legislation

The rules apply to eateries, but it is hoped that this will reduce congestion in shopping centers in general.

- This is one of many measures.

The Swedish Public Health Agency estimates that these together greatly contribute to reducing the number of contacts between people.

How much of the infection is thought to occur in malls and large department stores?

- It is not known exactly, but it is a type of place indoors with the potential for congestion that has been shown to be able to drive infection.

"Some ambiguities"

The reason why the new rules do not apply to ordinary cafés and restaurants is that they are regulated by separate legislation.

- It is important that the number of contacts between people is reduced in different indoor environments.

One such includes shopping malls.

There, people should not socialize unnecessarily, but according to the national general guidelines, primarily carry out purchases alone.

The trade association Visita remains critical of the new regulations and has also requested clarification from the Swedish Public Health Agency linked to the new rules.

- The Swedish Public Health Agency has repeatedly said that restaurants are a safe place where there is no major infection, to then force all restaurants to close at 20.30 and severely limit the opportunity for groups to eat out is very strange.

It destroys jobs and companies throughout Sweden, said press manager Jonas Partheen to SVT Nyheter on Friday.

Visita also states that they receive many questions from member companies about what the changes mean for their operations.