Unlock 3.0: Malls and market complexes to open from August 5

More than four months after the lockdown was imposed in the state on March 23, malls and market complexes will be allowed to operate in Maharashtra from August 5

More than four months after the lockdown was imposed in the state on March 23, malls and market complexes will be allowed to operate in Maharashtra from August 5 as part of its Unlock 3.0. The state government on Wednesday decided to extend the lockdown till August 31 but has eased several restrictions.

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The state has further decided to allow outdoor non-team sporting facilities such as golf courses, outdoor firing ranges, outdoor gymnastics, tennis and badminton courts, and mallkhamba sites to function from August 5, with conditions of physical distancing and sanitation measures.

However, it is yet to allow gyms even as the Central government has allowed them to operate while unlocking more lockdown restrictions.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said the government has to exercise caution while relaxing restrictions as Covid-19 cases are still increasing in the state. As far as Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) are concerned, the state will have to be extra cautious, he said.

“In exercise with the powers conferred under section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and all the other enabling provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it is expedient to extend the lockdown in the entire state till midnight of August 31,” states the notification issued by state chief secretary Sanjay Kumar.

“Malls and market complexes will be operational from 9am to 7pm with effect from August 5 without theatres, food courts, and restaurants. However, the kitchen of restaurants and food courts will be allowed to operate in malls, wherein home delivery through aggregators will be allowed,” it stated.

“Outdoor non-team sports like golf courses, outdoor firing range, outdoor gymnastics, tennis, outdoor badminton, and mallakhamba will be allowed with physical distancing and sanitation measures with effect from August 5. Swimming pools will not be allowed to operate,” it added.

The standard operating procedure (SOP) for operations will be decided by the local bodies such as municipal corporations, etc.

“Gyms are yet to be allowed to operate in the state. They will be allowed only after framing an SOP,” the chief secretary told HT.

The issue of relaxing lockdown restrictions was discussed in the state cabinet meeting held on Wednesday. “We will be issuing more relaxations but have to be cautious while doing so. We will have to be extra cautious when it comes to Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR),” said a senior minister who attended the meeting.

He said that the authorities will have to be more vigilant and focus more aggressively on tracing and treating patients in time. The state has also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to continue providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks after the Centre decided to stop their supply from September 1.