One year after continuous restrictive measures involving opening and closing hours for bars and restaurants across the entire country, representatives of this business sector are petitioning for a revaluation of these restrictions.
They are asking for the total lift of the curfew from 06:00 – 22:00 p.m., so that their businesses can operate and be able to dig themselves out of the “ditch” of debts, where the pandemic has forced them to descend.
“It’s been way too long, the time restrictions in my opinion don’t make any sense at all. We are working with half the capacity of our bar. We are experiencing an enormous crowd during peak hours. They come at 8-8:30 p.m. and at 9:30 p.m. we have to tell people to kindly start packing up and leave because we have to close. We are asking to have a freed-up schedule and they may check on businesses, but just let us work, so we can work at peace and be able to pay our staff, pay our taxes, our rent and get out of those debts we have taken in order to pay them until now,” said Arian Gjolaj, manager of a bar-café.
As Albania is launching its tourist season in various cities, the curfew restrictions in terms of circulating and working in bars and restaurants continue to be in force. Being a metropolis, Tirana gets tourists coming in during the entire 12 months of the year, and for foreigners, these restrictions are hard to grasp.
“Not longer than 2 nights ago, some tourists from Dubai were here and they were amazed by the place, but they said that this curfew is unacceptable. So, we call on all authorities to let us work,” said Gjolaj.
Antonio De Lauro is the manager of a restaurant that opened its doors during the pandemic in Tirana. He is asking for help regarding the continuation of his business by calling for an extension of working hours, at least until midnight.
“We have done everything we can in order to keep all of our staff and we have only been able to do so by self-financing. We didn’t abandon anyone, but today after a year, we need help, at least until midnight, for our staff and the entire economic turnover of the company. My request is for us to at least stay open until midnight. This is our job, the service for our clients, to make them feel good, to eat in a comfortable way, not hastily but calmly,” said Antonio De Lauro, manager of a restaurant.
The hotel and tourism sector remains one of the sectors hiring the largest number of employees in our country. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has deemed these businesses high-risk, by thus mandating a red protocol of measures that were obligatory for these businesses.
Even though the vaccination process is moving in a fast pace and the number of infections and fatalities is significantly dropping, the tourist season has started and the Technical Committee of Experts has yet to come to a final decision regarding the changes to or the relaxation of the anti-COVID measures.
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