Once the latest Covid-19 regulations come into force on 1 November, it will no longer be possible to take self-tests at the entrance to bars and restaurants.
This is a measure that the President of the Horesca Federation regrets, as he believes that the rapid tests “were working well” and should thus have been maintained.
The government has argued that the self-tests were prone to abuse, an argument which Rix rejects, stating that if there have been abuses, the government should have pushed for stricter and more frequent checks.
Businesses in the industry fear that they might lose customers, who may not be prepared to pay €10 or €20 for a certified rapid test just to go to lunch, and suffer financial losses, according to Rix, who points out that the sector has already lost a lot.
The President of the Horesca Federation laments that the hospitality sector is once again being branded as the black sheep: “We are always the fools in all of this!”.
Rix is also worried that the new measures could lead to staffing problems, stressing that if the state wants all staff members to be tested, it should pay for those tests.
In addition, the President of the Horesca Federation is calling for the extension of the law on financial aid, which expires this month.
However, despite the criticism, Rix also clarified that the Horesca Federation is “not at all opposed to vaccines” and has no understanding for those who refuse to be screened.
Rix added that an awareness-raising campaign is currently underway in the sector’s establishments to encourage people to get vaccinated.
