Due to the prevention of the coronavirus, places that serve alcoholic drinks were closed down for two months and allowed to open on April 30, under the decision of Ulaanbaatar Mayor S.Amarsaikhan. On May 4, it was decided to close nightclubs again due to increased gatherings of people, which prevents social distancing for customers and causing a lot of complaints from citizens.
The establishments that offer alcoholic beverages are required to take stringent sanitary and hygiene measures, including the disinfection and sanitation of all areas. Furthermore, customers are to be able to keep a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters from each other. Ulaanbaatar Mayor S.Amarsaikhan said, “Within the mass activities for preventing coronavirus infection, we face many economic challenges, such as protecting the health of citizens, conducting normal operations of business entities, and providing jobs and income for citizens. We proposed to gradually open the activities of the private sector in order to ensure the safety of every citizen and support businesses. In this context, the opening hours of bars and nightclubs were shortened and opened. However, service providers have lost responsibility and failed to follow the rules of the emergency situation. Therefore, the decision was canceled and bars and nightclubs were closed indefinitely. We need to understand that we are living in a time of a pandemic that scares the world and that any decision we make may change depending on the situation. During this period of quarantine, we will support as many companies as possible without putting any pressure on them.”
“A team of representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Construction and Urban Construction, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Tourism and heads of the city are working to support the economy. Within the framework of supporting the economy, we opened bars and clubs, but they weren't ready to operate in the current situation. We are exchanging views about opportunities to exempt business entities and individuals operating in Ulaanbaatar from the real estate tax, land tax, and capital city tax. We understand that companies are in a difficult situation at this time of coronavirus infection.”
Also, many people proposed to open training centers in the city to Ulaanbaatar mayor. These matters are the concerns of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. City officials submitted proposals to the relevant ministries, the mayor noted.
Special licenses of 31 businesses that repeatedly violated the orders of the Ulaanbaatar Emergency Commission since January 27 have been terminated. Some cities around the world, such as Beijing, reduced the level of emergency and began to open parks, libraries, and museums. Fitness clubs and karaoke bars are also being allowed to open.
