Bars and lounges want government to change the alert schedules and allow them to open immediately.

Under the current regime, restaurants would reopen next month, but bars and lounges would stay closed until July. Marcel Ethridge, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Beverage Association, assures that all such operations will initially restrict capacity to 25 per cent of pre-COVID limits. Ethridge also promises that bars and lounges would enforce the new rules and ensure good hygiene.

“Open immediately” in this case means within 30 days as that would give them enough time to prepare and rearrange their business.

As for the longer term, the association would like to see a task force to look into the operations of bars and lounges.