Restaurants pull out the masks and gloves to keep new Covid wave at bay

Sanitisers find their way back at entry points; Christmas and New Year bookings sold out, no cancellations so far

As China continues to grapple with a new wave of Covid, the ripples of the pandemic continues to be felt across the border. Sectors across India are also bracing for the possibility of a new wave affecting them. The hospitality sector has stepped up vigil and some have asked their staff to wear masks and gloves to keep the Covid virus at bay.

“We have once again placed sanitisers at restaurant entrances. Our staff members have been advised to wear masks during peak hours. These are proactive and precautionary measures,” said Anurag Katriar, founder of Indigo Hospitality, which runs eight restaurants in Mumbai.

Pradeep Shetty, executive committee member, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India, said hotels and resorts are sold out for Christmas and New Year. “As of now, there are no cancellations,” he said.

“We will take whatever measures necessary to protect our guests. Restaurants and hotels may instruct their staff to wear masks and gloves on duty. Regular sanitation measures will be followed,” Shetty added.

"Guest sentiments are positive, and demand for Christmas and New Year's has been robust in all of our resorts across all of our locations," said Vibhas Prasad, director, Leisure Hotels Group.

While the surge in Covid cases in China has sparked global concerns, India is well prepared to meet any challenge. It has completed vaccination and developed adequate health infrastructure to tackle a crisis.

“Covid-19 is not on people’s mind,” said a hotelier.

“As of now, there are no restrictions from the government. In case they are introduced, we will follow them 100 per cent,” said Pranav Rungta, Mumbai chapter head of National Restaurant Association of India.

“For the first time since 2019, the Maharashtra excise department has allowed bars to remain open on 24th, 25th and 31st nights till 5 a.m. This is a positive development,” he added.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has assured the people that the national capital is prepared for any possibility and asked the people to not panic.

Despite this, restaurants in the region tread cautiously on the possibility of a new wave affecting them.

“We have all the required safety norms in place to maintain maximum hygiene in our restaurant. We are waiting for new guidelines that the government may announce, and we are willing to abide by those rules. We have enough open spaces in our restaurants that allow us to maintain social distancing. We have also prepared our online delivery vertical which will help the cash registers ringing in case dine-in has to stop,” said Manoj Bagri, managing director, 7 Apple Hotels and Resorts.

Ashok Thakur, manager at CP-based The Zen says: “Our restaurant has stuck to the Covid rules from day one. Even after Covid waned, we continued following all the Covid-appropriate rules. Our staff continues to wear masks and our tables are sanitised every time a guest leaves.

Despite the measures taken by the sector, many players persist that another wave, leading up to another lockdown, would prove to be the death knell of the sector.

“It has taken some time for the industry to get back on its feet after the pandemic-induced lockdowns and the slowdown in business. We have seen the tourism industry come to a standstill during the previous waves. A lot of firms turn to work-from-home in such situations as well, which affects regular dine-in services. All these don’t augur well for the restaurant and hospitality sector,” said Bagri.

“In case we see another wave, at best, we go back to the days of social distancing and operating at 50 per cent capacity. At worst, our businesses will shut. The sector can’t afford this as it took a long time to convince workers to return after they went back to their states. A lot also depends on how the government handles the situation,” said Thakur.

For Yangdup Lama, a mixologist and founder of Sidecar and Cocktails and Dreams, SpeakEasy, safety of the staff remains the priority. “The main focus will be to make sure our staff is safe and secure. We need to ensure everybody has taken his or her precautionary doses. Staff and restaurant hygiene is also going to be one of the key things. On the guest side, the first thing is to lower the numbers if such a situation arises. We need to make sure everybody is masked and vaccinated.”

“In terms of the impact, we are hopeful that it won’t be as bad as in the past because people are more aware now. We are much more prepared and equipped, and the damage shouldn’t be as bad,” he added.

This situation across the country, though, is a far cry from last December, when restaurants and cafes were forced to cancel or scale down Christmas and New Year celebrations.

On December 31, hotels and restaurants in Mumbai were allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity till 12 am.

Hotels were also instructed to share CCTV footage of their premises with the local municipal ward offices.

Similar capacity restrictions were put in place in Bengaluru, too, on December 31 last year. And, Chennai police had banned all vehicular movement (except emergency vehicles) on New Year Eve.