STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: All restaurants and hotels which do not come under the containment zones will be allowed to host customers from Monday. However, the eateries will have to follow the Centre's COVID guidelines while operating. Due to the lockdown, the city restaurant industry has lost approximately Rs 25 crore.
All Assam Restaurant Association president Deba Kumar Barman said, "Despite the takeway services we were not earning any profits. From tomorrow we will continue to follow the government's norms for our and customers' safety. The COVID pandemic has shaken our business and I don't think the customers will be comfortable to dine-in the restaurants during this time."
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has issued certain guidelines which the restaurants need to follow. The restaurants can be operated with 50 per cent seating capacity, stated the notification from the MoHFW.
Takeaways should be encouraged and food delivery personnel should leave the packet at customer's door. The personnel should not handover the food packet directly to the customer and the restaurant management should provide adequate manpower to ensure the social distancing norms are followed. All employees who are at higher risk i.e older employees, pregnant employees etc should not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public. The notification added that the number of people in the elevators shall be restricted, duly maintaining the social distancing norms.
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