The Maharashtra government on Friday released a standard operating procedure and guidelines for hotels, lodges and resorts, which have been permitted to resume operations at 100 per cent capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barring containment zones, hotels, resorts, homestays, farm stays etc in the rest of the state will be allowed to operate.
As per the guidelines, which have been circulated to all stakeholders, all travellers will be screened at entry points using thermal guns to record their body temperature and check for symptoms of cough and cold.
Only asymptomatic tourists will be permitted to stay, it was stated.
People who don't have prior bookings or reservation and have flu-like symptoms will not be permitted, the rules stated.
Service providers should record contact details and advise such people to return.
Mandatory practises like wearing masks, social distancing and use of hand sanitisers must be followed at all times.
Apart from this, consent should be taken from guests for sharing their details with local administration and health authorities, as it is necessary for contact tracing.
Payment through digital mode should be encouraged as much as possible and precautions should be taken while handling cash, it was stated.
According to the guidelines, a form should be shared with guests prior to check in, preferably via email or WhatsApp, to get information about their travel, health history and current status.
The state government has also directed establishments to initiate the process of self check-in through a QR code or verify documents online.
Apart from this, hotels and resorts have been asked to prepare a list of Dos and Don'ts for guests and room service should be contactless, the guidelines stated.
Principal secretary of Tourism Valsa Nair Singh has circulated these guidelines to prominent hotel associations and a webinar was also conducted to brief them about the same.
