Markets in Pune to remain open till 7 pm: Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: The essential and non-essential shops will remain open till 7 pm in Pune City from Monday onwards. Restaurants, malls and libraries in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) areas will also see relaxations in timings, announced Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday after chairing a Covid-19 review meeting.
Further, areas falling under Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and Pune rural jurisdictions will continue to be under the present restrictions for another week, Pawar said.
At present, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have been classified in Level 3, while Pune Rural lies in Level 4. PMC will see Level 2 restrictions, while PCMC and Pune Rural will continue in Level 3 and 4, respectively from June 14.
Pawar said the restaurants are permitted to serve customers till 10 pm. According to him, libraries, malls and reading rooms will be allowed to function at 50 per cent capacity. Theatres and cinema halls, however, will not be opened, and a decision regarding them will be taken after a week.
He said the restrictions in PMC and PCMC areas will be lifted in stages as the medical and health experts have advised the government against the sudden opening up of cities and towns. He pointed out that the positivity rate should remain below 5% and if it increases beyond that the administration will impose curbs in the city.