Restaurants closed for lunch on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, an absurdity
Behind-the-scenes sources tell us that the government is about to decide to close restaurants throughout Italy for the entire Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
No one is underestimating the emergency, of course. Covid is a very dangerous and lethal virus, as recent months have demonstrated. The lack of scientific certainty about where the coronavirus is spreading has naturally and rightly triggered the principle of maximum precaution. Therefore, it was absolutely right to impose masks, social distancing, and even total and partial lockdowns when necessary. The point is that for the measures to be credible and accepted, they must also be rational. This time, as has happened several times before, there is no sensible reason to decide to close on the 25th and 26th for lunch.
Let's think about it. These days, in yellow zones like Lazio, restaurants have remained open for lunch every day, closing at 6 pm. With a large portion of customers missing—due to smart working and a ban on international and Italian tourists—weekday lunches are scarce, especially in historic city centers, like Rome. Restaurants are partially replenished on Saturdays and Sundays, when they are often full. "Full" is a term that must also be adjusted in light of the reduced seating capacity required by social distancing. If restaurants are legally and legitimately full today and tomorrow, why can't they be on Christmas Day and Boxing Day? One might say: Christmas would be a real rush. But no, also because if a restaurant is full, it's full, and especially during these holidays, everything operates regularly and orderly with reservations.
So, why this closure? Is the situation in hospitals worsening? No, the impact on the healthcare system has been slowly improving for three days. It's still dramatic in many cities, but the trend has turned positive. If there's no specific reason to tighten the restrictions, why do it on the 25th and 26th? And perhaps even on New Year's Eve and January 1st, as rumored?
This time, therefore, we stand with chefs like Alessandro Circiello, who says: "Incomprehensible, unfair, inappropriate. I understand the caution, the necessary precautions for the health of citizens. But we are reaching a paradox and a relentless attack on a sector."
