Restaurants to resume operations in some tourist areas from July 1

RESTAURANTS in some tourist areas will be allowed to resume their operations following certain precautionary measures as part of the Phase II of the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions from July 1, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has announced.

Restaurants will be allowed to resume their operations in Souq Waqif, Souq Al Wakrah, The Pearl-Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, Qatar Museums, Al Hazm and Msheireb.

Restaurants and kiosks in sports clubs and tourist areas are also allowed to resume operations.

“Allow restaurants and kiosks in sports clubs to resume their business by delivering orders or submitting them only, and not allowing customers to sit or be present within the facility,” the ministry said in a statement.

The restaurants in tourist areas must adhere to the precautionary and preventive measures outlined by the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.

The restaurants must comply with the following guidelines:

• Requiring clients to pre-book before coming to the restaurant

• Allowing diners into the restaurant only after checking the colour code identifying the individual’s health condition in the Ehteraz app. Only green code holders are allowed in.

• Open buffet service is completely prohibited; only pre-defined menus are to be served.

• Serving shisha is prohibited

• Barring people not wearing medical mask

• Checking the body temperature of diners at the entrance, and barring any customer whose temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius

• Providing hand sanitisers across restaurant facilities

• Placing safe distance stickers on restaurant floors

• Redistributing the furniture, leaving no less than two metres between each table

• Allowing a maximum of five people to sit at each table

• Reducing the restaurant’s capacity to 50 percent of the maximum number of diners

• Encouraging customers to pay using credit cards rather than cash

• Reducing the number of parking spaces available to clients to 50 percent

• Barring smoking at the restaurant entrances, and removing all containers designated for cigarette waste

• Gathering of diners or limousine and taxi drivers at the entrance to the outlet should be prohibited

• Continuously measure the body temperature of the restaurant’s staff, isolate employees who exhibit symptoms, and inform authorities concerned to take the necessary precautions and health measures in this regard

• Continuously sterilise all of the restaurant’s facilities, including administrative offices, warehouses, employee housing, and affiliated transportation facilities

The ministry said restaurants, cafeterias and cafes (coffee shops) in malls, shopping centres, and other non-designated tourist areas, are allowed to deliver to home addresses or hand over orders to customers outside their activity site.

The ministry warned that any violation of the decision will subject perpetrators to legal accountability and procedures.