Malls in Ghaziabad to open from Thursday

GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad administration has decided to allow hotels and restaurants outside containment zones to open from June 10 and malls from the day after. Places of worship, however, can open from Monday, provided they have all safety protocols in place.
Vegetable and grocery shops will also be allowed to stay open from 9am-9pm from Monday, instead of the earlier window of up to 2pm and 4pm, respectively. These guidelines were discussed during a meeting the administration held with businessmen on Sunday.
Owners of grocery stores had been protesting the curbs on timings, asking if liquor stores can be allowed to stay open till 9pm, why should there be restrictions on them. After the meeting on Sunday, the Ghaziabad administration issued a volley of instructions for commercial establishments to follow before they open to the public.
"Malls and hotels have been closed for the past two months. So, three days have been given to malls and two days to restaurants and hotels to carry out sanitisation and make other preparations before opening. Owners and managerial staff have been directed that Covid-19 protocols, such as social distancing and disinfection, have to be strictly followed. We have decided to award such establishments that take innovative steps to ensure better management," district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey said.
The entertainment tax officer of Ghaziabad has been appointed the nodal officer for malls. He would have to ensure that malls follow the guidelines specified for them. Similarly, the food safety officer will be responsible for safety protocols in hotels and restaurants, additional district magistrate (city) for places of worship, and additional district magistrate (administration) for rural areas.
The assistant transport officer has been asked to ensure guidelines are followed at roadside dhabas. All these nodal officers have been instructed to explain in detail the guidelines to stakeholders.
The officers have also been told to form WhatsApp groups with the owners of establishments under them and take feedback on the guidelines.