Eateries and bars can stay open till 11pm now in Gurugram, but lockdown to continue

GURUGRAM: The Haryana government on Sunday allowed restaurants and bars to stay open till 11pm with 50% capacity, heeding multiple requests from eatery owners to extend the dinner timing. Till now, restaurants were allowed to remain open from 10am to 10pm with strict Covid protocols.
Home deliveries from restaurants and fast food joints can also continue till 11pm. Similarly, gyms have been permitted to operate from 6am to 9pm — an extension of one hour. Despite the relaxations, the government on Sunday extended the lockdown in the state by a week till July 26. However, night curfew will continue on all days from 11pm to 5am.

Eatery owners said the decision to extend the dinner timing by an hour was encouraging. The hospitality industry has been among the worst-hit by the lockdowns. Several restaurants that were in the business for many years gave in to the mounting losses and downed their shutters.
“The government’s decision will immensely help the hospitality sector as most of the business comes during the dinner time. Earlier, we were allowed to operate till 10pm. That meant we had to stop taking customers after 9pm because we needed time to prepare the food. The authorities have been very strict about the operational timings. However, the footfall of customers has been gradually improving. This one-hour extension will help us get more customers,” said Gagan Vashist, the owner of Dhaba 29.
Club houses and restaurants in golf courses have also been given the one-hour extension. But the seating capacity will remain capped at 50%.
Owners of gymnasiums also backed the government decision to allow them to stay open till 9pm. “It is a welcome move for us as most our clients are working professionals and wish to book their training slots in the evening hours after office. Around 40% of our business comes from working professionals. The earlier timing was leading to crowds at gyms. It also meant people were getting less time to train and practise,” said Aseem Rao, owner of Hype, The Gym.
Several gym owners are hoping the government will offer them financial aid. “Our business has been badly hit. Besides the salary of trainers, we have to pay the rent for space and electricity bills. These monthly payments are constant, whether we do any business or not. Any kind of support from the government at this juncture will be of great help to us,” Rao said.
Meanwhile, the relaxations that had been announced in the earlier phases will continue. Single screens and multiplexes will operate with 50% occupancy, while gatherings in weddings, funerals and cremations will be capped at 100. For other functions in open areas, a maximum of 200 people can attend. Spas can stay open from 6am to 8pm at half their capacity and swimming pools can allow only those who are professionals.
“The extended lockdown will be followed strictly in keeping with the government’s directives. The state has taken a very balanced decision to continue with the lockdown but allowing relaxations at the same time. Restrictions such as capacity in eateries and other establishments and night curfew will continue. However, we will return to normalcy slowly,” said Yash Garg, the deputy commissioner of Gurugram.