Revelers celebrate New Year’s Eve at a pub in Beirut. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
BEIRUT — The governor of Beirut, Marwan Abboud, on Tuesday announced compliance measures for the holiday season in a statement addressed to owners of touristic establishments, such as bars, restaurants and nightclubs, in the city.
Here’s what we know:
• The statement urged the owners to follow the health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 stated in the Interior Ministry’s decision No. 1415 that limits in-door gatherings to 50 percent of the space’s capacity and requires obtaining a permit to host gatherings of more than 100 people. The decision also bars touristic establishments from allowing entry to people who do not have a certificate of vaccination or a negative PCR test result issued in the previous 48 hours. Furthermore, the decision enforces social distancing measures and urges employees to be vaccinated.
• The statement also demands compliance from owners in terms of the noise issued from their businesses, citing a joint decision from the Tourism Ministry and the Interior Ministry specifying the noise levels allowed at different times and demanding businesses be soundproof “to avoid disturbances to their environment.”
• In residential areas, on Fridays and Saturdays and public holidays, music and artistic performances must stop by 1 a.m. and the business must close by 2 a.m. During other days, the deadlines are respectively set at midnight and 1 a.m. The maximum noise any business is allowed to generate in these areas is 55dB.
• In non-residential areas, defined as being at least 500 meters away from any residential building, on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, all performances must stop by 2:30 a.m. and the establishment must close by 3:30 a.m. During other days, the stoppages are respectively scheduled for 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. The noise cap for these areas is 65dB.
• The governor also warned that businesses in violation of the above measures will be fined and in case of repeated offense they might face the disabling of their audio equipment and total closure.