A day after the Maharashtra government eased restrictions imposed for the control of COVID-19 on Wednesday, March 2, the Indian Hotels and Restaurants’ Association (AHAR) in Mumbai expressed its anguish over the bifurcation of administrative unit’s as per vaccination percentage.
"While we welcome the move to open restaurants fully, given the negligible new COVID-19 cases, the 90-70 clause is not well thought through as there is a Supreme Court ruling that vaccination cannot be forced upon an individual,” said AHAR President Shivanand Shetty.
For those unversed, the List A administrative unit is one whose first dose vaccination is over 90 per cent, second dose vaccination is over 70 per cent, positivity rate is under 10 per cent. List A municipalities that include Mumbai, the state has permitted 100 per cent capacity on shopping complexes, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gyms, swimming pools, cinema halls, tourist places and entertainment parks.
He added, “Despite Centre’s go-ahead to start off economic activities and even schools and colleges have started, we fail to understand why not open up for the whole of Maharashtra instead of only 14 districts. This will also help the industry to bounce back in a much faster way."
The fresh orders issued by the state government will come into force from Friday, March 4. Municipal corporations have been divided into administrative units.
The official statement by the Maharashtra government also mentioned that home delivery staff needs to be fully vaccinated. Besides, full vaccination against coronavirus is needed to visit malls, theatres, restaurants, sporting events, religious places and tourist places.
On the same, Maharashtra recorded zero COVID-related death for the first time ever since April 1, 2020.
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