Hotels and restaurants step up vigil, take steps to keep Covid at bay

Hotels and restaurants have stepped up vigil and some have asked their staff to wear masks and gloves to keep the Covid virus at bay.

“We have once again placed sanitizers at restaurant entrances. Our staff members have been advised to wear masks during peak hours. These are proactive and precautionary measures,” said Anurag Katriar, founder of Indigo Hospitality, which runs eight restaurants in Mumbai.

Pradeep Shetty, executive committee member, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, said hotels and resorts are sold out for Christmas and New Year. “As of now, there are no cancellations,” he said.

“We will take whatever measures necessary to protect our guests. Restaurants and hotels may instruct their staff to wear masks and gloves on duty. Regular sanitation measures will be followed,” Shetty added.

While the surge in Covid cases in China has sparked global concerns, India is well prepared to meet any challenge.

It has completed vaccination and developed adequate health infrastructure to tackle a crisis. “Covid-19 is not on people’s mind,” said a hotelier.

“As of now, there are no restrictions from the government. In case they are introduced, we will follow them 100 per cent,” said Pranav Rungta, Mumbai chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

“For the first time since 2019, the Maharashtra excise department has allowed bars to remain open on 24th, 25th and 31st nights till 5 am. This is a positive development,” he added.

This is a far cry from last December, when restaurants and cafes were forced to cancel or scale down Christmas and New Year celebrations. On December 31, hotels and restaurants in Mumbai were allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity till 12 am.

Hotels were also instructed to share CCTV footage of their premises with the local municipal ward offices.

Similar capacity restrictions were put in place in Bengaluru, too, on December 31 last year. And, Chennai police had banned all vehicular movement (except emergency vehicles) on New Year Eve.