Many hospitality outlets had barely hung out the Christmas decorations when they were told on 2 December that they would be obliged to close their doors the following day in the face of a surge in coronavirus cases.
But today the circuit-breaker was due to end as part of the latest phase of the government’s reconnection process.
Following an announcement about the move ten days ago, the hospitality industry has been preparing to make sure everything is ready for opening time.
Staff at the Liberation Brewery have been brewing between 3,000 and 4,000 gallons of beer weekly, initially for bottling and more recently to ensure there will be sufficient supplies on tap.
Seven of Liberation Group’s managed pubs will reopen today, including the St Mary’s Country Inn, the Trinity Arms, Hugo’s and the Old Court House.
Islanders will only be able to consume alcohol as part of a substantial meal, with strict Covid-19 protocols in place.
Deputy medical officer of health Dr Ivan Muscat said: ‘Islanders should be reassured that these venues are controlled environments and are subject to robust mitigations on reopening. This means that we will be able to limit the spread of Covid-19, as we have done in other controlled environments like schools and non-essential retail.’
Dr Muscat said it was essential to continue following public health guidelines in order to avoid the risk of a significant increase in Covid numbers which could cause the reversal of the Island’s reconnection schedule.
