Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Sunday issued an order permitting restaurants and bars to run between 8 am to 10 pm. The timings allotted are same for the takeaway services too.

Nearly after six months since the lockdown was imposed amid rising cases of COVID-19, restaurants in Pune resumed operations on Monday with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place. The Pune administration on Thursday issued ‘Unlock’ guidelines. The order was declared by Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar with no new rules. The order read, “Hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars will be permitted to run for dine-in facility, with a sitting capacity of 50 per cent or that decided by the local body, starting October 5.”

The state government on Saturday also released a set of SOPs which are mandatory to be followed by restaurants as well as the customers. The guideline includes screening customers at entry of the restaurants, regular cleaning of the premises, washing and sanitising utensils, promoting online payments, among other measures.

Restaurants were open from Monday, with 50 per cent capacity. They can operate from 08:00 am to 10:00 pm. The SOPs also states that all customers entering the premises should be checked by thermal screening and only those who do not have symptoms related to infection should be allowed to enter.

Entry should be restricted if anybody found with fever, cough and cold. Information records should be kept daily. Also, customers should follow all the norms of social distancing in the waiting area too. Customers should be permitted to enter the restaurant, bar premises only if they are wearing masks. Customers are required to wear masks in and around the premises, except while eating.