Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said the government will soon take a decision regarding extending the timings of restaurants and hotels after reviewing the situation. He was speaking at a meeting with a delegation of representatives of the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) and the Hotel Owners Association.
Thackeray said that the COVID-19 restrictions have been eased in a few districts. However, he added that the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic has to be avoided. For this, the Chief Minister said that the guidelines have to be strictly followed.
"We want to start everything as smoothly as before. We have relaxed some restrictions in the first phase. We have reduced restrictions on outdoor movement but we have to be careful about such things indoors," Uddhav said.
"The second wave required a great deal of oxygen. If the number of patients increases in the third wave, the demand for oxygen may increase, the central authorities said. In this regard, the availability of oxygen in the districts with large number of patients will also be reviewed. Infection and patient numbers will also be reviewed after the restrictions are relaxed," he added.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 Task Force has instructed the hoteliers to vaccinate their employees, turn off the air conditioning system and provide ventilation.
