On October 5, over 4 lakh restaurants, bars, and hotels in Maharashtra will reopen after a gap of six months as part of the fifth phase of easing coronavirus restrictions called Unlock 5. They were shut down, along with most businesses across the country, under the nationwide lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. This move, announced by Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on September 28, will bring relief to the state's hospitality industry which approximately generates over Rs18,000 crore in revenues and employs around 2.4 crore people directly and indirectly. This includes the over 1 lakh such businesses in capital city Mumbai alone. Reopening restaurants will, however, have to strictly follow safety rules listed by authorities. These measures include functioning at only 50 per cent capacity and adherence to social distancing norms. Patrons will have to abide by rules such as wearing face masks and use of sanitisers. Their contact details will be shared with authorities if needed. The premises, including furniture and upholstery, must be regularly sanitised, too. Maharashtra is India's worst COVID-19-affected state, adding almost 20,000 new cases every day over the past month. The total number of people infected with the virus has reached 14,43,409 with 38,084 deaths being reported. Mumbai alone has averaged over 2,000 positive cases in the past few weeks, with over 9,000 deaths being recorded so far.
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