Coronavirus: Pasika demonstrates against SafePass checks

Members of the association of owners of hospitality centres (Pasika) staged a protest in front of the Presidential Palace on Friday, slamming the government requirement for business owners to check that patrons have a SafePass when entering their venues.

Led by the association’s general secretary Fanos Leventis, Pasika members drove from GSP Stadium to the Presidential Palace to express their disappointment over the recent measures adopted by the government.

“We have repeatedly voiced our concerns and disdain regarding the SafePass requirement, but we haven’t been listened to, so we decided once again to make our voices heard,” Leventis told media outside the palace.

He insisted that the responsibility of someone’s health should rest with the patron and not the owner.

Leventis also added that some businesses, who had initially started carrying out checks realised afterwards that it was too hard to keep track of all their customers.

“Since the implementation of the latest measure, businesses’ turnover has fallen by 60 per cent,” Leventis said.

The protest took place before Friday’s cabinet meeting where ministers met to review the epidemiological situation and the possibility of implementing further measures.

Unlike Pasika, other associations of bars and restaurants have admitted that the SafePass requirement is the only tool to combat the spread of coronavirus.

On Thursday, the Employers and Industrialists Federation (Oev) issued a statement in support of the SafePass but added that catering establishments are currently facing difficulties in carrying out checks on customers.

Like Oev, the recreation centres association, the association of nightclubs owners and the association of events professionals also said the SafePass was useful in protecting the health of clients and personnel, allowing the continued operation of their establishments.