Restaurants, dhabas in Shimla can resume operations from today with 60% occupancy: DC

Hospitality industry in Himachal suffered tremendous losses due to the lockdown.

In a bid to restart economic activities after the 80-day nationwide lockdown to combat Covid-19, the Himachal government has allowed restaurants to resume operations in Shimla. This comes three days after the tourism and civil aviation ministry issued guidelines for phased reopening of areas outside containment zones – allowing hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services to reopen from June 8.

HT File

Hospitality industry in Himachal suffered tremendous losses due to the lockdown. Shimla DC Amit Kashyap convened a meeting of hoteliers and restaurateurs to find ways to resume operations.

While restaurateurs have agreed to resume operations and follow standard guidelines, hoteliers across state are reluctant to do so over safety concerns for the staff and guests.

The DC has allowed resumption of operations of restaurants and dhabas here from Friday, with 60% capacity.

“We were told that we will be allowed to let customers in at eateries, restaurants and dhabas,” said Sanjay Sood, president of Shimla Hoteliers and Restaurateurs Association. Restaurateurs have been directed to ensure social distancing on premises and regular sanitisation drives. All staff will have to wear caps, gloves and mask.

Representatives of the hospitality industry were against the idea citing difficulty to resume operations with the laid SOP.

The government notification makes it mandatory for hotel staff including the security, to wear masks and single-use gloves while performing their duties and use sanitizers. All guests and staff should maintain a distance of at least six feet.

Hoteliers are further advised to appoint a rapid response team and a management team headed by a rapid response leader and rapid response officers from all operational departments. The team will be responsible to prevent incidents, manage cases and mitigate impact among guests, staff and other involved parties. The team should frequently evaluate preparations, identify gaps and make adjustments to avoid any incidents.

As per the guidelines, all touch points like door knobs, switches, door handles, safety latches and taps should be cleaned regularly and it is advised to use 1% sodium hypochlorite having at least 70% alcohol to do so. Daily temperature of all staff members, guests, visitors and vendors should be checked with thermal gun thermometer.

Guests are advised to avoid using lifts and use staircases instead. Social distancing should be maintained in case of use of lifts. CCTV cameras should be fully functional. Common area cleaning checklists should be displayed at the reception and room cleaning checklist inside rooms on the back of the door. Hotel staff is to immediately inform police in case a suspected guest flees or is untraceable.

Details of guests, including travel history and medical conditions along with identity cards and self-declaration form, should be provided by guests at reception. Aarogya Setu app survey will be recommended to all guests.