Covid reopening: Last minute changes to indoor dining requirements

The requirement for designated tables has been removed. Businesses will not have to record what table each party sat at.

A number of overnight changes were made to re-opening requirements for indoor hospitality businesses which throw open their doors again from today.

When those businesses welcome customers today, they will no longer have to record the details of every person at each table. There will only be a requirement to get the details of the lead member of the party for contact tracing reasons.

Furthermore the requirement for designated tables has been removed. Businesses will not have to record what table each party sat at.

Hospitality industry representatives said they only got the new details shortly after midnight last night.

Padraig Cribben, chief executive of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), said there is a lot of anxiety among his members about the reopening and still some work to be done this morning before premises can open their doors.

He welcomed the overnight changes to the guidelines but added there are some templates for the recording of details which the VFI has yet to see, such as how to register customers who have documentation about vaccination from the US, the UK, Europe and Northern Ireland.

'A lot of anxiety'

“Today is a day of relief,” he said, after almost 500 days of closure. But that feeling of relief is also mixed with anxiety, he added. 

“There are many challenges in the guidelines.” 

Mr Cribben said his members are concerned about dealing with members of the public who refused to wear a mask and the coverage on social media of people who have said they are going to “cause problems” for the sector because of their opposition to the regulations.

“There is a lot of anxiety,” he added. 

The reopenings will be spread out over the week as outlets come to terms with the requirements. Many businesses have been closed for 16 months and they need to reopen.

“It’s not just about publicans, it’s about the public too,” said Mr Cribben who went on to call on the public to observe the new regulations which will be "the law of the land".

Infectious diseases expert, Professor Paddy Mallon has described the reopening of the indoor hospitality sector as the next step in the transition from pandemic to epidemic.

Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Prof Mallon said the new regulations for indoor hospitality shifted the responsibility to the individual.

Everyone needs to recognise that “nothing is devoid of risk” and being vaccinated does not make a person “bullet proof”, he said.

“We can make decisions for ourselves.” 

Prof Mallon said the new regulations for the sector are sensible and will definitely limit the impact of super spreader events.

The government is not considering closing indoor hospitality if there is a spike in cases, according to the Minister for Agriculture.

Charlie McConalogue said the Cabinet is confident the new guidelines in place will mean indoor dining can be opened safely.

Mr McConalogue says the vaccination programme will mean there is less risk involved.

"We're not looking at that (closing) because each step we've taken has been very considered in advance, with the objective that we don't have to take any step retracing the steps backwards," he said.

"So obviously we're seeing what's happening in other European countries, particularly the increased numbers, and in the UK over the last number of weeks, and indeed in Northern Ireland.

"We have been able to monitor that and we've made the decision in light of increasing numbers but at the same time, only taking steps which we believe, protect people who are vaccinated and minimise the risk of transmission to those that are not.” 

He said the country in a place now where over 68% of the adult population has been fully vaccinated and 83% partially.