Bars, parks open and restaurant hours extended from Monday

The Delhi government has permitted the opening of bars and extended the timing for restaurants by two hours from Monday as part of the relieving Covid restrictions.

As per the freash phase of relaxation bars will be able to open from noon to 10 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity. Restaurants can stay open from 8 am to 10 pm, instead of the current 10 am to 8 pm.

Public parks, gardens, golf clubs and outdoor yoga activities have also been permissible by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

The relaxation comes amid warnings by doctors and public health experts about the dangers of a quick unlock.

According to Dr Randeep Guleria, chief of AIIMS and a member of the Centre’s Covid Task Force, said that a third wave of Covid in India is “inevitable”, and it may hit the country sooner rather than later — within six to eight weeks.

Although the devastations of the second wave of the virus in April and May, in which thousands died and the healthcare system practically collapsed, especially in Delhi, the public disregard for safety norms has not changed, they said.