Hospitality, one of the hardest hit sectors by the pandemic, is once again staring down the barrel. With the number of COVID-19 positive cases on the rise in the State, the Government is taking precautionary measures to discourage people from crowding.
Several districts in Maharashtra have already imposed partial lockdowns. In a few cities including Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad, the current restriction on timings for hotels and restaurants continue to hurt business. Having incurred massive losses during the lockdown last year, the Hospitality industry continues to struggle to recover from it.
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has expressed that another lockdown would spell a certain death knell for the industry and has appealed to the Maharashtra Government to be pragmatic before taking any stern decisions.
“There is no denying that measures have to be taken to control the spread of the virus. The Hospitality industry is onboard this objective of the Government. We are apprehensive that as always, hotels and restaurants will be the first victims to an imagined threat. Unlike malls, shopping centers, grocery shops, public transport and even airports, hotels and restaurants are organized spaces. There are tables and chairs that by default take care of the mandated distancing norms. Entry and exit points are manned at all times and inside the premises the staff is on its toes. The industry is hurting since the lockdown last year and it won’t be able to sustain even a partial lockdown this time. We request the State Government to not make a hasty decision and enforce lockdown,” says Sherry Bhatia, President, HRAWI.
The HRAWI has also stated that at present, civic authorities in different cities and districts are imposing uneven restrictions. In certain cities the closure time is 11 pm and 9 pm while in some districts it is also 5 pm.
Some cities have even imposed Sec 144. In a letter to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra the HRAWI has appealed to allow restaurants and bars across the State to uniformly operate till 1 am. The establishments are operating at only half capacities and social distancing is being maintained within the premises. The staff is sensitized too. Since it is safe to operate with SOPs, the restriction on timings is avoidable considering that it can only have an adverse impact on businesses.
“The Hospitality industry is going through its most trying times and is attempting to recover from last year’s lockdown losses. With news about the spike in positive COVID19 cases, restaurants already witnessed a drop of around 30 per cent in the restaurant footfalls last weekend. Even today, only about 60 to 70 per cent of the city’s restaurants have re-opened and are operating at 50 per cent capacity. HRAWI has issued a circular to all its members advising them to follow all the SOPs recommended by the Civic Authority. There are around 210,000 restaurants in Maharashtra out of which approximately 30 per cent of restaurants continue to remain shut due to debts and financial losses. Small changes in business and operations have big repercussions on revenues. So, we not only appeal to the Government against a lockdown but we also hope for relaxation in the operation timings till 1 am across the State,” concludes Pradeep Shetty, Sr Vice President, HRAWI.
