Salons, restaurants not exempted from anti-Covid lockdown: MHA

Clarifying the issue, a senior Home Ministry functionary said the MHA order is implied to the sale of goods not for the services rendered.

There was no order to re-open to barber shops or beauty parlours or restaurants and also the liquor shops as well, the Ministry functionary said.

The exemption, he said, has been given to reopen certain shops with the condition of social distancing which is not possible in case of salons.

“In view of queries coming from various sections of society, it is clarified that all restaurants, salons, and barbershops would remain closed. They relaxations given under lockdown restrictions yesterday pertain to only to the shops selling items”, the MHA spokesperson tweeted.

All shops in rural areas, except those in shopping malls, have been allowed to resume operations whereas in urban areas, all stand alone shops, neighbourhood shops and shops in residential complexes have been kept out from the exemption. However, it is not applicable to shops in markets and market complexes and shopping malls, the MHA order on April 24 said.

The order also highlighted the sale of liquor and other items continue to be prohibited as specified in the National Directives for Covid-19 management.