Scene of prolonged ...heavy winter in the area of the much-affected focus make up the sanitary measures, which excluded the unvaccinated from the closed areas, as well as the steep rise in energy and raw material costs.
Restaurant industry players are talking about turnover declines exceeding even 50%, at a time when costs for business are being inflated by the onslaught of price inflation. Indeed, the situation is expected to worsen if, as rumoured, the government at the next stage decide and exclude the unvaccinated from the outdoor catering areas as well.
However, yesterday's announcement by the Prime Minister on the compulsory vaccinations for citizens over 60 years old is the only measure for a long time that is characterized as positive by the industry, which, as the president of the Union of Restaurants, Grillers, Cafe Bar of Thessaloniki, Yannis Filokostas, was from the first moment and remains firmly in favor of vaccinations and there are very few employees in shops in the industry that have not been vaccinated.
All other recent health measures, however, for the unvaccinated imposed since November 6, as Mr. Philokostas, are working against the industry and have brought about a dramatic reduction in turnover and footfall, i.e. reductions of 50% to 75% for the 95% of Thessaloniki's health shops, at the same time that from June to November the price of natural gas has increased by 310%, electricity by 80%-90%, frying oils have increased by up to 105% since last year and other raw materials have increased in price respectively by 20% to 40% or even 50%.
In this context, the Union of Restaurants, Grillers, Cafe Bars of Thessaloniki prefecture Calls for a change in the measures on unvaccinated persons implemented on 6 November so as not to affect catering professionals and otherwise considers «essential» the support of the sector - especially in view of the new and aggressive Omicron mutation, according to the experts - by repeating the work suspension programmes, rent subsidies and so on.
