As Qatar moves ahead to implement Phase 3 of the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions this week, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has announced that restaurants are allowed to resume operations (receiving clients) after acquiring pre-approval from the Ministry. 

There are two main conditions to obtain pre-approval. These are:

- To register for the Qatar Clean program on the website, www.qatarclean.com.

- To download the restaurants’ requirements form, fill out the required information, and submit it by e-mail to restaurants@qatarclean.qa.

Once the application is submitted, the Ministry will review it to ensure all required conditions are met and approval will be granted accordingly.

The Ministry said that restaurants that do not meet the required conditions will only be authorized to deliver orders or proceed with takeaways for customers outside the eatery, in line with the previous decisions that have been issued earlier.

MoCI jointly with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) will inspect restaurants that fill out the requirements form.

The Ministry announces the third stage of the gradual lifting of restrictions restaurants. #Qatar #YourSafetyIsMySafety pic.twitter.com/0gOZlTzvKG

— وزارة التجارة والصناعة (@MOCIQatar) July 26, 2020

All restaurants must abide by the precautionary and preventive measures outlined by MoPH and the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour, and Social Affairs (MADLSA). They should make sure the below guidelines are in place as operations resume:

- Making it a requirement for customers to pre-book before coming to the restaurant.

-  Allowing diners into the restaurant only after checking the health color code on the Ehteraz app. Only green code holders should be allowed to enter.

-  Open buffet service is prohibited and only pre-defined menus should be served.

- Serving shisha is prohibited.

- Denying entry to those who do not wear a medical mask.

- Checking the body temperature of diners at the entrance, and preventing any customer whose temperature is above 38C. 

- Providing hand sanitizers across restaurant facilities.

- Placing safe distance stickers on restaurant floors.

- Distributing the furniture to ensure a space of no less than 2 meters between each table.

- Allowing a maximum of five people to sit at each table (except for family dining).

- Reducing the restaurant’s capacity to 50 percent.

- Encouraging customers to pay with credit cards rather than cash.

- Reducing the number of parking spaces available to customers to 50 percent.

- Barring smoking at the restaurant entrances and removing all containers designated for cigarette waste.

- Barring diners or limousine and taxi drivers from gathering at the entrance of tourist areas.

- Continuously measuring the body temperature of restaurant staff, isolating employees who exhibit symptoms, and informing the relevant authorities to take the necessary precautions and health measures.

- Continuously sterilizing all restaurant facilities, including administrative offices, warehouses, employee housing, and affiliated vehicles. 

“This decision will be effective from Tuesday, July 28, 2020, and may be subject to amendments and updates according to the latest developments in this regard. Any violation of this decision will subject perpetrators to legal accountability and procedures," MoCI said.

The Ministry also stressed that the success of each phase of the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Qatar will depend on the compliance of everyone to the required preventive and precautionary measures.

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