The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture has overridden directives by the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) giving permission to drinking bars to reopen.

The Ministry’s statement comes after some outcry over the GTA’s statement on the hospitality industry and the measures hotels, restaurants and drinking bars put in place to protect customers as government strives to beat COVID-19.

In its statement released on Wednesday, May 13, the GTA said all hotels in the country can resume operations normally “subject to the specified elevated hygiene protocols and social distancing.”

The release gave permission to all drinking bars to start operations while observing the social distancing guidelines to combat COVID-19 but stated that nightclubs will remain closed.

“Food chains and restaurants can operate sit-down as well as pick-up and delivery services while observing appropriate social distancing and hygiene protocols. All nightclubs must remain closed.”

However, the Ministry, which oversees the GTA released a statement in which it rubbished what the Authority had stated.

Its statement insisted that “food chains and restaurants (including hotel restaurants) can operate takeout and delivery service only. Drinking bars and all night clubs remain closed.”

“The public is to note that this circular supersedes the one issued by the Regulator,” the statement added.

Read the two statements below