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Peru Restaurants Resume Operations as COVID Lockdown Lifts

VOA News

   Restaurants in Peru are acceptingdiners forthe first time since closing
   four months ago at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

   Under newguidelines, businesses on Monday resumedoperations
   at40%capacity.Tableswere requiredto be at least two meters apart.

   Ruben Espinoza,chef andmanager ofthePuntoMariskorestaurant,said he is
   excited about the reopening even if it's only at 40%of restaurant
   capacity becauseit'sastart.

   The reopening of restaurants in the upscaleMiraflorestourist district
   in the capital, Lima, attracted few diners as businesses begin to
   recover from the economic crisis created
   byCOVID-19lockdownrestrictions.

   Thepresident of Peru's National TourismChamber,CarlosCanales,saidsome
   70,000businesses permanently closed during the lockdown, eliminating
   thousands of jobs during the pandemic.

   Peru has confirmed more than 350,000COVID-19 cases and more than 13,000
   deaths.

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