Coronavirus outbreak:Restaurants can stay open in Mumbai but with riders; deliveries to continue

The state has exempted certain establishments such as restaurants, cafes, eateries and dhabas in the city to operate under certain conditions, amid the shutdown

The state has exempted certain establishments such as restaurants, cafes, eateries and dhabas in the city to operate under certain conditions, amid the shutdown of several other services and amenities. App-based services and e-commerce sites to order food and groceries have also been permitted to remain operational.

HT Image

After chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday stated that all non-essential services and establishments would be shut, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a circular, directing all corporate offices and establishments, except the essential services, to close down owing to the deadly coronavirus outbreak.

However, to clear confusion on what services can remain operational, the BMC on Friday night issued an amended circular in which it has specified establishments that will be excluded from the shutdown.

According to the circular, restaurants and eateries are permitted to operate, however, owners have to limit customer capacity to 50% at their outlets and maintain a three-foot distance between each customer. Ward officials have also appealed to the owners of such establishments to encourage customers to opt for home delivery and take away services to avoid crowding at their outlets.

Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner of G North ward (Dadar, Dharavi and Mahim), said, “Courier services and home delivery from e-commerce websites, as well as grocery-selling websites, can function. Also, we have asked restaurants and eateries to promote home delivery or take away options as much as possible.”

Hotel and restaurant owners said that though the shutdown is heavily impacting their businesses, they fully support the government’s move.

Gurbaxish Singh, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), said, “The shutdown is a necessary step and we are with the government to help citizens remain safe. The problem however, is that most of the restaurants are facing a shortage of staff up to 70 to 80%. To ensure that customers maintain at a three-foot distance, we have reduced the number of seats in our eateries. We are getting fewer customers but we are appealing to them to opt for delivery by staff. The fear around non-vegetarian food and a lesser footfall has impacted the businesses but following precautions is the need of the hour.”

In the amended circular, BMC has also permitted certain big-ticket projects such as the coastal road and Metro to continue with the work. “Public infrastructure projects related to water, sewerage, transport and roads will be excluded from the shutdown,” the circular stated.

Meanwhile, the BMC said foreign consulates in the city can function at their own discretion.