On July 27, 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Resolution #641 applying new approaches to the introduction of quarantine measures and declining some previous restrictions, including on cafes and restaurants’ operations.
Prior regulation (CMU Resolution #588 of July 8, 2020) introduced operation restriction from 11:00 PM to 07:00 AM for business entities which provide catering services with or without entertainment (restaurants, cafes, bars, snack bars, canteens, buffets, cafeterias), excluding address delivery and takeaway orders.
Given the lack of proper justification, as well as the incorrect identification of catering facilities with entertainment establishments*, to which this provision was primarily aimed, the Chamber responded promptly towards introduction of such restrictions and appealed to the responsible stakeholders with initiative to abolish them.
The business proposal was supported by the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture, and the Ministry of Health and, as a result, was displayed in the Government's new quarantine Resolution #641.
Thus, under the new rules, strengthening of anti-epidemic measures is taking place in areas with a significant spread of COVID-19. Depending on the epidemic situation in the region, the following safety levels can be established – green, yellow, orange, red. The following are the relevant requirements for the operation of cafes & restaurants:
- Green and yellow safety level – restrictions on working hours do not apply
- Orange level – working hours (excluding address delivery services and takeaway orders) from 7:00 AM to 12:00 AM
- Red level – operations are allowed only for address delivery
These rules are effective from August 1, 2020, with Resolution #641 entering into force during the quarantine, which was extended until August 31, 2020.
The Chamber is grateful to the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture and the Ministry of Health for continuous cooperation and support of business proposals.
* While providing catering services, enterprises operate in accordance with the requirements established for this industry, including the rules on visitors amount, incoming sanitary control and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, in restaurants and cafes, in contrast to entertainment establishments, the amount of visitors significantly reduces at night, which simplifies the implementation of quarantine requirements.
