en 
Speaking to Lusa news agency, the president of the national restaurant association PRO.VAR, Daniel Serra, said that business owners have observed that many customers do not wear their mask on the terraces. “In the past few days we have seen what was happening. We [association] received this concern from catering establishments and commerce in general. In catering, it has to do with the use of masks and the fact that customers are not respecting the rules, and many entrepreneurs are asking that, whenever they are not consuming, to keep their mask on. For this reason, we urgently ask for a clarification of the rules in order to avoid a setback in the easing of lockdown,” he said.
According to Daniel Serra, the business owners are unable to impose the use of the mask. “One third of the establishments are operating and two thirds are waiting for 19 April and the 3 May to be able to return to normality and there is a general concern here. Entrepreneurs have their hearts in their hands because they are unable to impose this issue and many clients almost unconsciously end up failing to comply”, he underlined.
For this reason, PRO.VAR asks the Government and the health authorities to clarify the rules for catering and commerce in general, namely the obligation to display them at the entrance of establishments. “We ask that commerce in general and the catering establishments have the obligation to have an indication of the covid rules in the establishments and that does not exist. It is easier for the entrepreneur to enforce if it is posted. We are also talking from the point of view of competition: if it is an obligation, everyone has to comply in the same way, there is no unfair competition. Some comply, others do not and things do not work,” he explained.
According to Daniel Serra, important information such as capacity, basic rules for the use of the mask and disinfection of the hands should be posted. “Basically, there are basic rules that we have been asking for. That all establishments should be obliged to communicate so that this implementation is easier. Entrepreneurs call for a balance between controlling the pandemic and the economy. We do not want to return to a previous situation here. We have had 13 months of enormous difficulty that the sector is facing and it would be catastrophic to confine it again”, he said.
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I will not be visiting any restaurant that makes me wear a mask while seated! That is absolutely ludicrous!
By SS from Algarve on 07 Apr 2021, 12:10
Alas it is not just the restaurants,it is everywhere.The Portuguese were explicity told not to travel around the country over Easter.Guess what?They ignored that too.
What they have now done and we will know for sure in about three weeks,is sow seeds of the next wave of the pandemic.
So if you thought it was all over,think again.
By James from Algarve on 07 Apr 2021, 13:38
It's pretty simple; you comply to the law. That's what laws are for. Whatever newspapers and Prime Ministers recommend is not legally justified.
According to the law you wear a mask until you're seated and when you leave.
That's it.
By Ana from Algarve on 07 Apr 2021, 14:20
Get a grip people! You are outside in the open air distanced from other tables. I can understand if it were indoors than by all means wear a mask.
By Tony B from USA on 07 Apr 2021, 16:07
Mask enforcing restaurants will go out of business. It's not complicated. You are not my parent, serve the food, or I'll go somewhere else. Enjoy unemployment, then you can wear a mask 24 hours a day
By Latoysha Adams from USA on 07 Apr 2021, 16:31
In Sweden there is no mask mandates and no use of masks in any commercial or any other places and Sweden have 4000 less deaths WITH not from this Wuhan flu compared to Portugal. Masks is useless and can not stop or prevent any virus, they are made of textile/cotton the masks are a way for a gov to see how far they can push the populationt to obey, studies also show small size parasites and bacteria grow inside masks and create more illness.
People must start to think if masks for 1 euro can prevent virus infections why was masks not mandated for svine flu, bird flu, hong kong flu, TBC, Hepatities, Yellow Fewer and many other illnesses?
In several states in USA it is now voted by state legislators to make mandatory mask wearing in commercial places illegal, if people want to wear mask thats fine but it is not ok to force people to wear them. Also in USA burn mask events are organised and masks are burned by school children and familys in garbage bins.
By Magnus from Other on 08 Apr 2021, 08:25
Even worse than restaurants are the GYMS! Why on earth aren't masks required while workout out? I've been to 3 different gyms where they think that social distancing without masks is enough. It is not. People are crossing my path the entire time after breathing heavily from a workout. People workout kjtnin groups on the gym floor without masks. If millions of people in New York State can work out with masks (including classes!), then so can the Portuguese. It's a poor excuse to say that "it makes people anxious to wear a mask while working out." Complete and total rubbish. The science is clear : gyms are super spreader locations unless masks are worn the entire time.
By Ron from Algarve on 08 Apr 2021, 08:51
Get a life people. If it were not so frustrating looking at your comments it would be funny. "It's the law" Get a life and a a brain sheeple. People are in hospital suffering oxygen deficiency, not because of coronavirus but because, like sheep they walk round all day wearing a mask and rebreathing their own CO2. Once the lungs are damaged their is no way back. A human being is designed to breath oxygen! Also the masks are not doing anything for coronavirus, they are designed to keep out droplet not aerosol. Get a life people. As one who has had this "deadly disease" I can tell you it is not pleasant but I am still here and didn't have to attend hospital. Get a life and grow up, it's the "cure" that's killing not the disease.
By Martin Wootton from Lisbon on 08 Apr 2021, 09:26