Four pubs in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills were raided by the police on Friday night for violating COVID-19 guidelines. The managements of Chemistry, Tabula Rasa, Amnesia and Airlive have been booked under the Disaster Management Act, according to reports.
According to the police, the management of these pubs did not enforce the COVID-19 protocols of preventing crowd gathering, opening the dance floor and entertaining patrons who were not wearing masks. “The state government has set clear guidelines for pubs prior to its opening. No crowd gathering or dance floor is allowed. The management has been asked to strictly follow the social distancing norms. However, despite rules in place, the four pubs were found violating them,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Task Force RadhaKishan Rao was quoted as saying by NewsMeter.
The DCP said that besides filing a case against the erring managements under the Disaster Management Act, they are mulling action by the Excise Department too.
Earlier in October, the Excise Department sealed Resign Skybar after a viral video of a large crowd flouting COVID-19 protocols was brought to the attention of the authorities. Authorities said that the bar violated the restrictions and rules permitting a gathering at the bar counter.
While the Ministry of Home Affairs’s Unlock-5 guidelines permits the opening of Metro rail, shopping malls, hotel, restaurants and hospitality services, religious places, yoga and training institutes, gymnasiums, cinema theatres, etc., these establishments and services have been asked to maintain certain restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The MHA in its order categorically said, “The essence behind graded re-opening and progressive resumption of activities is to move ahead. However, it does not mean the end of the pandemic. There is a need to exercise abundant caution by adopting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour by every citizen in their daily routine.”