By New Rules For Sale Of Alcoholic Drinks
The Ministry of Trade has proposed a new set of operating guidelines for traders selling alcoholic drinks to combat the spread of COVID19.
Protocols from the 1st edition of the guidelines released in June 2020 such as social distancing will remain in place, albeit enforced more.
In the new rules, bar owners are required to shield counters with a Perspex glass to block contact between buyer and seller with the latter prohibited from sitting at the counter.
Operators are expected to keep a daily register of staff members, limit the number of revelers, and limit physical contact between partakers among other measures requirements.
New Rules On Alcohol Sale
“Owing to uncertainty about the COVID-19 disease, to thrive in the Net Normal, companies need to make fundamental changes in every line of business” Trade CS betty Maina said
Besides having a valid license, every retailer is also required to set aside a suitable COVID-19 holding/emergency room for any suspected staff case and report to relevant authorities.
The legislator added “As we move into the festive season and the potential for successful vaccines to deliver a new period in dealing with a pandemic-altered world, there are high expectations. Consumers and society at large are expecting more from businesses. Embracing our responsibilities on exercising utmost care in adherence to the protocols will play to our advantage,”
The bar and pub owners will also be required to fill three forms which include an application permit, an inspection checklist, and a permit to operate an alcohol retail establishment during the COVID-19 pandemic which will be reviewed after one year.
The Trade Ministry is also encouraging cashless transactions such as mobile money transfers to reduce the handling of hard currency.
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