"A sandwich is not a meal"

Friday 26 February 2021

Venues that only serve a sandwich or light snack with alcohol will be left facing prosecution, Jersey's top pandemic medic has warned.

The warning from Dr Ivan Muscat came as Jersey gets ready for its first weekend since hospitality venues were given the green light to safely reopen on Monday (22 February).

Under the reopening rules aimed at keeping Jersey’s covid levels under control, alcohol can only be served if alongside a substantial meal, and islanders can only meet in groups of up to 10, which should not form part of a larger group on other tables.

“The relaxation of restrictions is not an opportunity to book out venues and invite more than 10 people to sit at separate tables, such as for a wedding reception. Nor is it an opportunity for venues to arrange a shared event such as football matches on a large screen, a pub quiz, or a fundraising event. Such gatherings encourage mixing and add to infection risk, they are a breach of the rules and should not be arranged,” Dr Muscat warned.

“The law states that alcohol must only be served with a meal. A light snack, such as a sandwich, is not considered a meal. Serving alcohol with it would be breaking the rules and the premises may be liable to prosecution.” 

Pictured: Premises that do not keep to the rules could face prosecution.

Dr Muscat continued: “The public must support the industry by adhering to the guidelines. If you suspect that an event may not be lawful, please do not attend and be cautious of any events which seem suspicious. 

“We are in a good place; our active cases continue to decline because people have stuck to the rules. But the risk of transmission, especially the Kent variant, remains high. It only takes one, asymptomatic individual to infect a group of friends and then many more will be forced into isolation as direct contracts.  

“Meeting a maximum of 10 people when dining out reduces the risk of transmission. STAC will continue to review all measures to ensure the public are safe.” 

The current hospitality rules… 

• Food and drink consumed on the premises must be ordered and payed for while seated- any establishment which cannot cater for this, must operate as take-away only
• Events, such as bingo or quizzes, watching sport, fundraising events, family events such as wedding receptions or corporates events and meetings must not exceed 10 people 
• Larger groups cannot bypass the rules by splitting up into smaller groups of 10 or less. Multiple tables of people gathering for the same purpose, such as celebrating a wedding or participating in a quiz - is not within the rules
• Masks must always be worn at all times when in the venue apart from when eating and drinking
• Contact tracing details must be taken by law 
• Hygiene must be maintained