Noida malls to open from Monday, Ghaziabad to decide on Sunday

NOIDA/GHAZIABAD: The Noida administration has decided to allow malls, restaurants, hotels and places of worship to reopen from Monday, but neighbouring Ghaziabad said it will take a call after a meeting with all stakeholders on Sunday.
On Saturday, the UP government released a set of guidelines for all commercial establishments. According to these guidelines, movie halls, gaming zones and children’s play areas in malls will stay shut, but other outlets can open while maintaining social distancing, sanitisation and other safety protocols.
Malls, hotels and restaurants have been instructed to ensure sanitisation at entry points, tell visitors to maintain a distance of at least 6ft, regulate AC temperatures at 24-30 degrees Celsius and keep the moisture saturation level at 40-70% on the premises. They will not be allowed to organise any such event that may pull a crowd.
Visitors will be screened for their body temperature and anyone exhibiting Covid-like symptoms will not be allowed inside. A visitor showing symptoms after entering the mall will be isolated immediately and the health department will be informed.
At religious places, not more than five persons will be allowed enter at a time. Devotees will not be allowed to touch idols or holy books and they will have to carry their own mats or sheets for praying. Prasad or holy water will not be offered. Hotels and restaurants have been told to accept online payments. Food courts in malls will also have to ensure not more than 50% of the tables are filled.
Officials in the Noida administration said they would soon design a mechanism to ensure the guidelines are being followed. “We have allowed malls, hotels and other public places to open from Monday, except those in containment zones. We will be appointing nodal officers to ensure the state government’s guidelines are followed strictly,” said Narendra Bhoshan, the nodal officer for handling Covid response in the district.
The mall management will have to inform the health department immediately if a person shows symptoms. “Meetings will be held with all stakeholders at different levels. They will be briefed about the precautions to be taken. The owners and managers of these establishments will be instructed to report any suspected cases immediately and ensure all guidelines are followed,” Noida district magistrate Suhas LY said.
The Ghaziabad administration has scheduled a meeting with owners of malls and restaurants on Sunday.
“The state government may have released its own guidelines, but we will take a call only after we discuss all the possibilities with stakeholders. We will not rush through it,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, the district magistrate. “I have instructed ADMs and other senior officials to inform the malls about the terms and conditions. After they give us a feedback, we will come out with SOPs specific to the district. At this point, I cannot say for sure if malls in Ghaziabad will open on Monday,” he added.