According to the Indian Express, The Maharashtra government on Monday decided to extend shop timings till 11 pm and restaurants till 12 am.
It also decided to allow amusement parks to resume operations from October 22. However, water rides in these parks will remain suspended.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery held a meeting with the Covid task force on Monday, where the decision to extend timings of restaurants and shops was taken amid flattening of the Covid curve.
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“We had anticipated that after Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri, we would witness a spike in Covid-19 cases, but as the positivity rate is still below 1%, we have decided to further relax the restrictions. The task force has unequivocally given a go-ahead to keep shops open till 11 pm and restaurants till 12 am,” said a senior officer from the state public health department.
While welcoming the move to extend the timing of restaurants, Sherry Bhatia, President, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) said , “In cities like Mumbai evenings begin late. Closing time of 10 pm, though forced upon by prevailing circumstances, was impractical for both restaurants as well as diners. Most restaurants operated these hours in losses to maintain continuity and salary of the staff. At the moment, we don’t have all the details. But we do hope that restaurants are allowed to operate till 1.30 am. While we have to be on our guard and maintain health protocols to ensure that Covid does not rear its ugly head again in Maharashtra, it is also important that normalcy return from a business point of view. Life v/s livelihood is a delicate balance. With about 50 lac individuals in Maharashtra directly and indirectly depending on the hospitality industry for their livelihoods, it is imperative that guidelines are eased.
The last 18 months were very challenging for the industry. A large number of restaurants and hotels closed down during this time, and an estimated 25 lac heads lost their jobs. Mumbai has faced one of the severest restrictions in the country. It is critical that timings are relaxed to the pre pandemic hours. This will help the revival of the industry in Maharashtra.”
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