Covid-19: Follow 50% occupancy rule, West Bengal govt tells bars – Times of India

File photograph of patrons at a restaurant

KOLKATA: The government, over the weekend, instructed bars and eateries in the city to adhere to Covid-safety guidelines which include allowing guests to occupy only 50% of the establishment’s capacity, screening visitors for fever and social distancing. This led many outlets in the city to cancel their plans around the India-Pakistan cricket match on Sunday evening to prevent crowding.
Officers of local police stations either visited or called up the managers of several bars in central Kolkata and Park Street to check if the guidelines were being followed.
Managements of bars and eateries have also been told to shut down by 10pm, which has led to many outlets not accepting orders after 9.30pm-9.45pm.
Bars and eateries had been told to continue following the latest order till further notice, but it was issued afresh over the weekend keeping in mind the cricket match. “On Saturday, we received instructions from the authorities to strictly follow the guidelines. Usually, high-voltage sports events attract a lot of guests, which increases our sales. But we decided to adhere to the order and follow all the guidelines,” said a representative of a pub inside Quest Mall.
Local police also contacted some of the bars in central Kolkata with the guidelines.
“We were instructed to only allow guests to fill up 50% of the capacity. The place also had to be shut by 10 pm. We are adhering to the guidelines given to us and are not accepting orders after 9.45pm,” said Sandeep Sehgal of Broadway Hotel on Ganesh Chandra Avenue.
Some clubs also received calls from their respective local police stations on Sunday evening.
“The officers of the local police station contacted us and told us to abide by the rules, which we are doing. We have already instructed our staff to switch off all the lights in the club before 11pm. The club has already issued a circular in this regard,” said Chandan Roychowdhury, secretary, Calcutta Rowing Club.
“There was a phone call from the police and we informed them that we were closing everything by 10.30pm. Our last drink order is now at 9.45pm,” said Subrata Guha, joint secretary, Lake Club.