Counter service will remain prohibited to customers and table service will stay in place. Stock image
Counter service will remain prohibited to customers and table service will stay in place. Stock image
INDOOR pubs and restaurants are finally reopening their doors. Those who are fully vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid-19 will be allowed in.
The experience of indoor dining, or going to the pub for a pint, is certainly going to be more complex for customers from now on. Here is a list of considerations to be mindful of before going for a night out with friends.
From today, as doors reopen, only those who are fully vaccinated, or who have had Covid-19 in the past six months, will be allowed to enter indoor hospitality.
Under the regulations, anyone who has not been vaccinated or is without immunity, will be forbidden from entering premises.
Anyone who attempts to enter businesses with fake identification will risk being fined €2,000.
Only vaccinated or immune adults entering premises will be able to bring unvaccinated children under 18 indoors with them.
Under-18s do not need to provide proof of vaccination or immunity, if they are accompanied by an adult who fits the entry criteria.
However, ID to prove a minor’s age may be asked for.
When diners approach a restaurant or bar, they must provide an EU Digital Covid Certificate or HSE Covid-19 vaccination record, or proof of immunity under the Health Amendment No 2 Act 2021.
A staff member will scan and confirm validity of the vaccination or recovered status, using the EU Digital Covid Certificate Checker or other validation of proof of immunity.
Customers are also required to bring photo ID, which includes a driving licence or passport, to allow a staff member to cross check their details with their vaccination or recovery status.
Once confirmed at the door, a staff member will allow entrance to a customer, but not before contact tracing details are taken.
Restaurants or pubs that are unable to confirm vaccination or immunity status must, under the regulations, refuse access to the venue.
However, businesses are then allowed to offer outdoor hospitality, where available, to customers.
There will be no time limit indoors, but venues may impose time limits themselves.
Fáilte Ireland guidelines state no more than six people aged 13 or over are to be permitted at a table.
However, the six-person limit does not apply to accompanied children aged 12 and under.
No more than 15 people – six adults/adolescents and nine children – are allowed at a table.
Last night at midnight, rules dictating that all guests at a table of six would be asked for their contact-tracing details were changed.
Now, only the lead guest or solo guest will be asked for their phone number for contact-tracing purposes.
Hospitality venues no longer have to keep a record of where a party sat in their restaurant or bar.
Each business will be expected to adhere to ventilation guidelines, by increasing air flow with air-extraction systems and CO2 monitors.
Those hoping for a relaxed vibe following the return of indoor hospitality may be a little disappointed.
There will be no return to buying a pint at the bar. Counter service will remain prohibited to customers and table service will stay in place.
The two-metre rule between tables will stay in place, but this can be reduced to one metre in controlled environments.
Customers must wear face coverings at all times when not seated at their tables.
No music or dancing will be permitted in venues.
All venues must close by 11.30pm, although this is likely to be reviewed by the end of the summer.
The public health advice remains that it is safer to eat and drink outdoors.
Visit our Covid-19 vaccine dashboard for updates on the roll out of the vaccination program and the rate of Coronavirus cases Ireland