The press release that sanctioned a 260-minute cabinet meeting at the auditorium of the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday said government is now forced to strictly implement a 1990 decree that regulates the activities of off-licenses and on-licenses as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Fouda Séraphin Magloire, Secretary General of the Prime Minister's Office says Thursday's meeting was devoted to the review of Government's response strategy against COVID-19, as follow-up to the address of the Head of State to the Nation on 19 May 2020.

“With regard to the opening and closing of off and on licenses, the Minister of Territorial Administration specified that administrative authorities have increased the number of visits to the premises to ensure that the times defined by the Decree of 9 November 1990 to lay down the conditions and procedures for the operation of drinking spots are respected, that is, from 6 am to 9 pm for off licenses and from 6 am to midnight for on licenses, ”the release signed by Fouda read in part.

On March 17, 2020, the Prime Minister said under the supervision of administrative authorities, bars, restaurants and entertainment spots were to be systematically closed from 6p.m. The decision pushed South West Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai to prohibit drinking in off-licenses, snacks, night clubs, palm wine joints, and eating in restaurants. He obliged those who buy food or drinks to take same to their homes for consumption.

However, on Thursday, April 30, 2020 Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute announced the lifting of some restrictions and the offering of financial incentives to economic operators. He said the decision had been taken by the President of the Republic Paul Biya considering the encouraging results observed in the implementation of the COVID-19 response strategy in Cameroon, and the conclusions of the study on the socio-economic impact of this pandemic on the country's economy.

The first of the “easing and support measures”, in order to relieve the sectors hard hit by this health crisis concerned bars.

“… The opening after 6 pm of bars, restaurants and leisure facilities, with the obligation for customers and users to respect barrier measures, in particular the wearing of protective masks and social distancing,” said the Head of Government.

It remains to be seen how Minister Paul Atanga Nji of Territorial Administration plans to go about the implementation of the said decree of November 9, 1990 to lay down the conditions and procedures for the operation of drinking spots. The wearing of protective masks and social distancing in bars is far from being respected.

“How can we drink with masks on? It is for us a chin mask. We just put it on and leave it under our chin to please the police, ”a local in Douala says. In localities like Rue de la Joie in Douala where the sun rises at night, it is left to be seen how the midnight curfew on bars will be respected.

Cameroon is known for “administrative tolerance”, with many decrees and laws implemented progressively or simply given a blind eye for the most part.

As we went to press, Cameroon had confirmed 5,659 cases of COVID-19, with 3441 recoveries and 185 deaths.