As restaurants, cafés and pubs which serve food reopen today (4 December), the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has urged its members to follow public health guidance this weekend and in the weeks ahead.

The move is the latest stage of the Government’s plan to move into level three of COVID-19 restrictions after most of the retail sector and other services reopened earlier this week.

Reputation

Chief executive Adrian Cummins said the association had issued the Fáilte Ireland guidelines on reopening to all of its members.

“For the safety of everyone and for the good reputation of the sector and the businesses who have worked hard and waited to reopen, I implore on all operators to do the right thing, follow the public health advice and implement the guidelines,” he said.

Mr Cummins also asked customers to play their part, to “bear with us” and be understanding about the safety procedures they would be asked to follow.

These include wearing a mask when not seated, using hand sanitiser, providing details for contact tracing and booking for no more than six people.