Isha Sesay
THE Balearic government are currently mulling over the proposal that would allow bars and restaurants to open until 11pm each day.
This week, key ministers met with local business unions to discuss easing the restrictions currently enforced on the sector.
With the curfew set to be pushed back to midnight from this Sunday, unions have asked that bars and restaurants can also extend their opening hours by one hour.
They also request that all interior areas can reopen, and not just for those without a terrace – as per the government’s new rules.
Bars and restaurants across the Balearic Islands have been far the worst hit under the coronavirus pandemic and particularly since the start of this year, first operating under limited hours and then being told to close indefinitely.
Once being allowed to reopen their doors, they then faced capacity constraints and the prohibition of the use of their indoors.
For Mallorca this meant a closure of 80% of its restaurants since this proportion did not have a terrace.
Such restrictions have put the sector in crisis and according to the Association for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (PINEM), since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, restaurants have lost an average of 80% of their turnover, 30% of the workforce have lost their jobs and 40% of businesses have permanently closed.
In March, the Balearic Employers’ Association also reported that bars and restaurants were only able to cover 30% of their expenses due to capacity limits.
READ MORE:
- More than 80% of bars and restaurants in Spain’s Mallorca close under tougher COVID-19 restrictions
- One in three restaurants in Spain’s Mallorca will permanently close this year due to COVID-19 crisis
- More than 33,000 people in extreme poverty in Spain’s Balearic Islands due to COVID-19 crisis
