Industry welcomes move, even as Mumbai establishments await BMC’s local decision soon
An employee wipes the dishes at Jyothi hotel, Dadar East. File pic/Suresh Karkera
Restaurants can open with 50 per cent capacity till 10 pm, while malls can roll up shutters for fully vaccinated patrons and staff from August 15, the state government announced on Wednesday. Opening time for gyms, yoga centres, spas and salons has also been extended to 10 pm. The BMC will soon announce similar relaxations tailored for Mumbai. Meanwhile, hotel and restaurant associations have welcomed the move.
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People can visit malls 14 days after taking their second dose and need to furnish either a physical or digital copy of their final vaccination certificate at the entry. Employees and management staff of the restaurants and malls will also have to be fully vaccinated 14 days prior to resuming work.
Health minister Rajesh Tope announced the new relaxations after the state Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The new orders come into effect from August 15.
At restaurants, waiters and other support staff must wear masks all the time and customers must in the waiting area must also keep their masks on. File pic/Shadab Khan
“Restaurants, at 50 per cent capacity, and malls have been given conditional permission. Employees and management staff must be fully vaccinated. Clients must wear masks in the waiting area of the restaurants. Mall managements must ensure that the people working on the premises are fully vaccinated, and also take the responsibility of screening the visitors for their two-dose vaccination status,” he said.
Also read: This is a real Independence Day for Mumbai! Local trains for fully vaccinated from August 15
Closure for violations
Tope said restaurants must make seating arrangements keeping in mind the dire need of physical distancing, and waiters and other support staff must wear masks all the time. “Violations found during inspections will be taken seriously and the restaurants will be shut till further notice,” he added.
Under revised rules, a marriage party can have a maximum of 100 people indoors and for outdoors, the cap will be 200 people.
Gyms, yoga centres, salons and spas can also open till 10 pm with 50 per cent capacity and proper ventilation. Indoor sports has been allowed, but players, employees and the management staff must be fully vaccinated.
Tope said the Cabinet decided to keep multiplexes [in malls too], single screens, theatres, cultural centres and places of worship shut. “The decision will be revised in the future. Their shutdown is not forever,” he added.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani told mid-day no decision on relaxations has been taken by the BMC yet.
AHAR President Shivanand Shetty said, “We are happy to be granted the time extension till 10 pm and welcome this step. This announcement has brought a smile on the faces of those associated with this beleaguered industry.”
An employee screens a woman at the entry of Star Mall. File Pic/Ashish Raje
“We have asked our members to maintain high standards of hygiene and cooperate with the concerned authorities. Seeing the decreasing number of Covid-19 cases, we are optimistic that the administration will do away with all restrictions soon and things will be back to normal.”
Sherry Bhatia, president, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, said, “Restaurants will now be able to make some business. The industry, including owners and people employed in it, has suffered for over 16 months of income deprivation. We welcome this move and expect more easing of restrictions shortly.”
Schools uncertain
Though the education department had earlier announced reopening of schools after August 17, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is unlikely to give a green signal as yet. He wants to go by the advice of the state Covid Task Force, which has recommended not sending minors back to classes amid the threat of a third wave. Thackeray had convened a meeting of the task force, school education and health departments on Wednesday night. Sources said the CM was in favour of the task force’s opinion.
About colleges, the health department has asked vice chancellors to seek the view of educational societies that run undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
24x7 for private offices
Tope said private offices are allowed to open 24x7, but have been requested to stagger working hours for facilitating shifts to avoid crowding in workplaces and transport. Offices can reopen at 100 per cent capacity if all their employees have been fully vaccinated.
For interstate travellers
People travelling to Maharashtra from other states need to have a negative RT-PCR test report. The test should be conducted 72 hours before arrival in the destination city/town. In the absence of the report, travellers will have to undergo 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival.
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