The cat was out of the bag last week: Public Health did not recommend that the Legault government close restaurant dining rooms. So, this is a totally political decision! Following the statement of Dr. Harrocia Arruda in parliamentary committee Wednesday, all the actors in the field of catering are angry.
Remember that according to a study conducted by Restaurants Canada, more than half of establishments are at risk of closing in the next six months and that 80% of restaurants are in the red or are just on the verge of profitability.
Since March, when the containment measures were first announced, dining rooms have been closed for a total of more than six months, which equates to $ 5 or 6 billion in lost sales across Canada.
Frustration is great among restaurateurs, entrepreneurs working in a business sector already very aware of hygiene measures and who had taken the lead in protective measures as of the deconfinement of summer 2020.
The consequences are terrible on the industry because of the government's decision: there are thousands of restaurants closed, job losses, employees who change professions, who are unemployed or who find themselves on the street .
Importantly, Dr. Arruda's statement confirms the opinion of many who said that restaurants are not vectors for the transmission of the virus. According to what Public Health told the government, the dining rooms could have remained open by allowing members of the same household to sit at the same table.
According to François Meunier, vice-president of public and government affairs, Association Restauration Québec, restaurateurs have been sacrificed to send a message to public opinion and to make people limit their social contacts. “It would have been contradictory to tell people, 'You can't have family at home, but you can go to a restaurant.' It is a political choice. "
The Association Restauration Quebec and Restaurants Canada both wish to discuss with the government in order to prepare a recovery plan via a national working group and to work on a plan for a definitive reopening of the restaurants.