No buffets or barbecues yet, says Health Dept
Buffets and barbecue restaurants are still prohibited from serving diners in line with Covid-19 restrictions, the Department of Health said on Friday.
Dr Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, the department’s director-general, announced guidelines for restaurants set by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration at a Public Health Ministry press conference on Friday.
Restaurants open for dine-in services are required to:
• Disinfect tables immediately after use
• Disinfect commonly touched areas and toilets every one or two hours
• Sharing of cutlery is not allowed
• Self-service in the form of buffets, salad bars or barbecues are not allowed
• Every table must have a bottle of sanitising gel
• Diners and tables must be kept 1 to 2 metres apart or divided using partitions.
• Tables in airconditioned restaurants must be kept 2-metres apart and diners are not allowed to sit opposite each other.
• Air-conditioned eateries can only fill 50 per cent of seats while open-air eateries 75 per cent. Diners are not allowed to spend more than an hour in a restaurant.
• Premises must be aired at least 30 minutes before the air-conditioning is turned on and the area must be ventilated every hour. Bathrooms should also have a good ventilation system.
• All food and beverage outlets are required to close by 8pm and consumption of alcohol in restaurants is strictly prohibited.
• Same restrictions apply to restaurants in shopping malls or similar establishments.