Even as the Maharashtra government announced fresh Covid-19 restrictions, confusion reigns over which services will stay open and for how long. Here is a handy breakdown of the new lockdown guidelines, which are expected to be in place until April 30
A bunch of early morning shoppers maintain social distancing as they queue up to buy vegetables in a market in Bhoiwada Photo: Suresh Karkera
With restaurants closed, what are the rules for food deliveries?
Takeaways and home deliveries are allowed every day between 7 am and 8 pm. There will be no dine-in service at restaurant locations. Those involved in delivering food have to get vaccinated by April 10, according to GOI criteria. Until then, they must carry negative RT-PCR test results.
On weekends, home delivery orders will only be allowed between 7 am and 8 pm. Visiting restaurants or bars even for picking up orders is prohibited. Restaurants inside hotels will be open only to in-house guests and will have to follow restrictions like other restaurants and bars.
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Which essential services will remain accessible?
Essential health services including hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, pharmacies, medical insurance offices and pharmaceutical companies will function.
Grocery stores, vegetable stalls, dairy shops, confectionaries and food joints, are classified as essential services too.
In the latest addition, fruit vendors and petrol and diesel pumps will also be a part of essential services.
All cargo services, data centres, cloud service providers, IT services supporting critical infrastructure and services and government and private security services are permitted to remain open too.
What about marriages, funerals and social gatherings?
Marriages with a maximum of 50 guests are allowed. Only 20 people will be allowed at funerals.
All staff employed at marriage halls will have to get vaccinated. Until then, they will have to carry a negative RT-PCR test result. In case any individual is found without the test result before vaccination, they will be fined Rs 1,000 and the owner of the establishment will part with Rs 10,000 in penalty.
Is it shutters up or down for wine shops?
Other than essential services, the guidelines state all shops will remain closed throughout the day. With this in mind, wine shops are likely to be closed until further notice.
Are private offices open?
Only certain private offices will be open. These include SEBI and all SEBI-recognised market infrastructure institutions such as the stock exchanges, depositories and clearing corporations, and intermediaries registered with SEBI. The list also includes RBI-regulated entities and intermediaries including standalone primary dealers, CCIL, NPCL, payment system operators and financial market participants operating in RBI regulated markets.
These also apply to all non-banking financial corporations, micro-finance institutions, offices of advocates, custom house agents and licensed multi-modal transport operators associated with the movement of vaccines, lifesaving drugs and pharmaceutical products.
Disclaimer: The above information is from the latest set of guidelines issued by the Maharashtra Government as of April 6.
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