The Telangana government on Friday allowed the reopening of all bars and clubs with immediate effect. The relaxation is in line with the Unlock 4.0 guidelines given by the union government. The state government on Friday issued an order in this regard, as bar and restaurant owners have suffered huge losses due to the pandemic, which has adversely affected their business.
While some restaurants have started food delivery services in the city, those which were dependent majorly on alcohol continue to see losses.
Earlier, owners sought relaxation in license fees citing losses in their business. The reopening of bars is happening after over six months; they were closed down in March when the government decided to contain the spread of the coronavirus through the lockdown.
The latest government order stated that the permission to reopen bars was given following careful examination of the matter. The order stated that this decision was given on the condition that practices such as the usage of non-touch infrared thermometers at entrances and hygienic queue management conditions be followed.
The order also sought for crowd management at parking lots, besides provision of hand sanitizer for patrons. The order issued by the Revenue (Excise) department also banned gatherings, musical events and dance floors.
It was also maintained that each bar should be completely sanitised twice a day and seats must be thoroughly sanitized before a new customer occupies them.
Permit rooms under the A4 category of wine shops shall remain closed until further notice. This is due to the complications of maintaining social distance and other COVID-19 guidelines.
The state government further stated that bars and clubs which are found to be violating the given guidelines will be face serious consequences, which include cancellation of licenses.
It was in May that the Telangana government allowed the sale of liquor in shops across the state, irrespective of their zones. Later, the government relaxed the timings of these stores in line with the subsequent Unlock guidelines given by the union government.