How are restaurants allowed to open during lockdown, asks Goa Minister

Panaji, April 29 (IANS) With just hours left for the four-day lockdown in Goa to take effect, Ports Minister Michael Lobo has raised issues about the guidelines notified by the administration which allow restaurants to function at 50 percent capacity during the curfew."I have spoken to the District Collector and the Chief Minister asking them how it is possible. How can restaurants remain open with 50 per cent capacity when there is a lockdown," Lobo told reporters."Restaurants up to 50 percent capacity from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., however restaurant kitchens will be allowed to provide home delivery/takeaways any time," reads the order issued by the collectors of North Goa and South Goa districts.According to the order, fish markets and municipal markets can also be open during the lockdown "only with proper arrangements for enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour, like social distancing, use of masks, etc".Sawant had imposed a lockdown from Thursday night to Monday morning, in the wake of an unprecedented increase in the number of Covid-19 infections in the state.The state currently has 18,829 active cases, while 1,110 persons have died from Covid-19, since the outbreak of the pandemic.
--IANS maya/bg