Unlock 2.0: Gujarat extends hours of ops for shops and restaurants

Ahmedabad, Jun 30: With 'Unlock-2' kicking in on Wednesday, the Gujarat government has extended hours of operation for shops and restaurants located in non-containment zones, guidelines for which were issued on Tuesday.

The shops and restaurants were allowed to remain open till 7 PM during the earlier relaxations of the lockdown. Under new guidelines issued by the state Home ministry, shops are allowed to remain open till 8 PM and restaurants till 9 PM.

The curfew will now begin at 10 PM instead of 9 PM, which was the case in the 'Unlock 1', and remain in force till 5 AM the next day. Gujarat's COVID-19 case count stood at 32,446 with 1,848 deaths so far as on Tuesday.

All religious places, hotels and restaurants, shopping malls, and street vendors will be allowed to operate as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued earlier, the guidelines stated. All educational, training, research and coaching institutions will remain closed in July besides cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming polls, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.

Similarly, social, political and sporting events, entertainment activities, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations will not be allowed in the month.

Only 20 people will be allowed to attend funerals. Marriage functions can be attended by not more than 50 people, as per the guidelines. State transport buses are allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity in Ahmedabad and Surat, but are allowed to carry passengers up to 60 per cent of the capacity in other parts of Gujarat. Private bus service will be allowed to operate in the similar manner.

The same rule of 50 per cent and 60 per cent is applicable for city bus services in Ahmedabad and Surat, and in the rest of the state. Four-wheelers can carry two persons besides the driver while only two people are allowed to travel on two-wheelers, as per the guidelines.

Containment zones and micro-containment zones will be demarcated by authorities in districts after taking into consideration the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Only essential services will be allowed in containment and micro-containment zones across Gujarat between 7 AM and 7 PM every day.

Workers, employees and shop owners whose residences are located in containment zones will not be allowed to travel to other areas, the guidelines said.

The state government has allowed inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods vehicles. The government has prescribed the fine of Rs 200 for those not wearing masks in public spaces as well as for spitting. Vulnerable sections like people aged above 65 years, people with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and children below 10 years have been advised to remain indoors.