After months, the Delhi government asked to permit hotels and restaurants to serve liquor, a move the hospitality industry mentioned could give a boost to the sector which badly suffered due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia directed excise officials to establish necessary permission so that liquor could be served at restaurants as part of dine-in services and in hotel rooms. The decision was taken keeping the revenue implications in mind.
Bars To Still Remain Shut
However, the bars in the capital will remain closed under the provisions of unlocking guidelines even though several states have permitted service of liquor by licence holders under the Excise Rule in restaurants, clubs and hotel rooms. The Union home ministry allowed the reopening of hotels and restaurants from early June to resume businesses and activities that were restricted since the end of March. Bars and pubs, however, are still not allowed to operate anywhere in the country, as per the latest “Unlock 3” guidelines applicable till August.
Hotels To Reopen After Reduced COVID-19 Cases In The Capital
The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) allowed hotels and weekly markets to open on a trial basis. This decision should come as a sigh of relief for hotel owners and street side vendors whose business was stalled for months. However, gymnasiums in the capital of the country will continue to remain closed for the time being.The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held a crucial review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and attended by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria among other top officials. The decision comes after closely monitoring the current scene of COVID-19 cases in Delhi. According to the latest data, there are 11,068 cases in Delhi with 1,146 patients recovering in the last 24 hours and 1,372 more positive cases. With 12 more deaths in the capital, the total toll stands at 4,226. Clearly, the Delhi government has done a great job in terms of controlling the number of active covid-19 cases, thereby de-linking hotels from hospitals and reopening them.
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Governor Gives Nod To Revive The Service Sector
The service sector is a crucial contributor to the state’s economy and offers a job to a majority of the people. While hotels contribute to around 8% of the State’s GDP and employment, the weekly bazaars employ 5 lakh, poor families. Under the guidelines of Unlock 3, the central government had allowed hotels, gymnasiums and weekly markets to open. Still, the businesses in Delhi continued to suffer from no permit from the Governor. The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government then wrote to the Lieutenant Governor to allow for the opening of these critical sectors and revive the economy. Revenge Travel Is The Newest Travel Trend Taking Over During The Pandemic
Delinking Hotels From Hospitals
To tackle the growing COVID-19 cases, the government had aligned some hotels with hospitals to meet the demand for beds. However, with the decline in the number of new cases, these hotels were de-linked. Hotel Association of India, which represents 300 hotels across categories, welcomed the move to allow the reopening of the hotels in Delhi by the state government.
Hotels will now face a daunting task re-establishing trust with the public after months of being closed. But, while we contribute to reviving the economy by booking a stay at the hotels, let us continue to maintain all the safety COVID-19 guidelines. Follow these tips for a safe hotel stay.