Goa extends Covid curfew; restaurants, bars to reopen with 50% capacity

Goa Government on Sunday extended the COVID curfew for another week till July 12 while allowing several relaxations.

Now, restaurants and bars will be allowed to function between 7 am to 9 pm with up to 50 per cent seating capacity.

The move comes as a respite for restaurant and bar owners as these were prohibited to serve guests for more than a month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. However, restaurant kitchens were allowed to function for deliveries and takeaways.

Shops and malls will be allowed to open from 7 am to 6 pm. Earlier, these were allowed to operate till 3 pm. Saloons and other outdoor sports complexes/stadiums are also allowed to open.

Educational institutions, cinema halls, auditoria, casinos, gyms, spas, indoor sports complexes will remain closed. Visitors will not be allowed at religious places.

The COVID curfew was first imposed on May 9 in Goa.

As many as 164 new COVID-19 cases, 202 recoveries and four deaths were reported in Goa in the last 24 hours. With this, the total COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 1,67,436, including 2,087 active cases.

As many as 1,62,276 recoveries and 3,073 deaths have been reported in the state so far.