NT NETWORK
Panaji
With bars, restaurants, taverns and so on in the state allowed to serve liquor in the premises from September 1, the state government, on Tuesday asked establishment owners to maintain the guidelines issued by the MHA to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The permission to restart services is subject to the condition that local establishments ensure adequate distancing between workers, gaps between shifts and staggering the lunch break of the staff.
The order issued by the office of the excise commissioner on reopening of bar services says that no liquor can be sold without mask or appropriate face cover worn by the licensee or to a customer who is not wearing mask. The establishment must provide sanitisers and also undertake frequent sanitisation of the entire premises and all points that come into human contact such as door handles, counter, etc.
Further the customer has to maintain six feet distance from each other, says the order. It says that only valid license holders whose licenses are not suspended and renewed for current financial year are permitted to sell liquor in the premises for consumption. The permission to reopen excludes liquor establishments located in containment zones and other prohibited areas declared by the authorities.
The order allows bars and restaurants serving liquor to operate at the usual permitted timings, that is, from 11am to 11pm. Most of the local bars and taverns normally operate from 11am to 3 pm and from 7pm to 11pm.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, Michael Carrasco, president of All Goa Bar and Restaurant Owners Association (AGBROA), said that bar owners were busy during the day calling their staff back and buying liquor stock to reopen for business. He said that owners were also preparing to follow the guidelines on prevention of COVID.
On August 29, the MHA removed bars, restaurants, taverns, etc, from the list of restricted activities after which the state government on August 31 permitted them to reopen for business.
