Vaccinated, tested and recovered people will be allowed to visit a restaurant again from May 19. Those caught without proof will face hefty fine.
On May 19, restaurants in Austria are finally allowed to reopen and provide their guests with culinary delights both in the guest garden and indoors. Here, the 3-G rule applies (geimpft, getestet, genesen), which means that only people who have either been vaccinated, tested or have recovered may consume food and drink in a restaurant.
“As long as the ‘green passport’ is not yet on the way, we have to make do with a bit of paperwork. That is, I take my vaccination certificate with me or the printout from the e-vaccination certificate register, my doctor’s note or my certificate or my convalescent certificate,” Katharina Reich, Director of Public Health, explained to Ö1-Morgenjournal on Tuesday.
According to Reich, the original document does not necessarily have to be brought along, a good photo of the relevant document would also suffice. It is recommended, however, to have an identity card with you, so that you can show that the proof of vaccination, testing or recovery has really been issued to this person in the event of an inspection. This is because the hosts or employees of the establishments are also allowed to perform these checks.
“The system is only as good as the people who participate in it and take it seriously,” the Public Health Director further clarifies. In addition to the 3-G rule, strict safety concepts also continue to apply in the restaurants, including the wearing of an FFP2 mask, the two-meter distance rule and guest registration.
Anyone caught in a restaurant without proof, or who violates the FFP2 mask requirement or the two-meter distance, will have to dig deep into their pockets – and it is not only the operator of a restaurant who is asked to pay, but also the guest himself. According to the Epidemics Act, the police are responsible for monitoring and ensuring compliance with the restaurant rules.
If the distance rule or mask obligation is disregarded, the executive can issue an organ punishment mandate in the amount of 90 euros or even immediately file charges. If one visits a restaurant despite ordered quarantine, it becomes even more expensive, and significantly! Violations are punished here as an administrative offense and cost up to 1,450 euros.
In addition, there is the threat of criminal prosecution for endangering people with contagious diseases. The same also applies to people who are caught eating schnitzel in a restaurant without proof. Here, too, fines of up to 1,450 euros are possible. To prevent this from happening in the first place, the authorities are appealing to people to visit a restaurant only if they have proof that they have eaten there.
— source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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