Restaurants, Shops To Have Extended Work Hours; Amusement Parks To Open Too – Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai, 18th October 2021: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today held consultations with the state task force on Covid and decided on increasing the functional hours of operations for restaurants and shops and establishments in the state. 

Similarly, it was also decided to permit the operations of dry rides at amusements parks located in isolated and demarcated regions, while excluding the operations of water sports and rides upon which a decision is likely to be taken soon. These amusement parks will commence operations from October 22, 2021 as per the consensus decisions arrived at the meeting of the Covid as well as the Children’s task forces headed by Chief Minister Thackeray that was held at his official residence Varsha.            

The Chief Minister also issued instructions for a laser focussed approach on the medical facilities available for the treatment of Chickenguniya and cases of dengue that had witnessed a suddent largescale spike in the state.           

Thackeray said, “Even as we relaxed covid restrictions in a phased manner the reduction in the numbers of Covid-19 positive cases has also apparently decreased. Cinema houses, theatres exhibiting plays will be allowed to open from October 22, 2021. Even restaurants and stores have been consistently demanding an increase in their permitted number of hours of daily operations. I have instructed that the guidelines for increased hours of work be issued forthwith.”            

The Chief Minister also instructed the public health department to stay in contact with the Union health ministry on the issue of vaccinations for children and once the decision is taken to make the relevant planning needed so that vaccines are made available and administered to the children. Shri Thackeray called for public awareness campaigns terming these as essential now, even as the second covid wave is on the ebb, and emphasized that the third wave was not completely ruled out even today. He pointed out that it was essential for citizens to responsibly follow covid protocols and ensure masking, safe distances, and hand sanitizing to keep the pandemic at bay.            

The Chief Minister also directed due diligence from right now onwards about newer medical treatment procedures on Covid, new medicines and assessment of their effectiveness, information of costs, availability even as globally new medical experiments are being conducted every day.