Maha allows hotels to operate at 100% capacity, offices at 30% capacity

Mumbai: Maharashtra, the epicentre of coronavirus in the country, today allowed hotels and some sections of government offices to work with 100 per cent capacity. In its guidelines issued today for Unlock4 -- the fourth phase of relaxation from the restrictions imposed due to coronavirus -- the state government also scrapped the requirement for e-passes for inter-district travel.

Hotels in Maharashtra will be allowed to operate with 100 per cent capacity, but will have to vigorously maintain all safety norms, the guidelines said.  

Private offices will be allowed to operate with 30 per cent capacity -- up from the present "10 per cent or 10 people whichever is more" rule.

Government offices can deploy 100 per cent of their Group A and Group B staff, and 30 per cent of the rest in urban hotspots of the disease including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. In the rest of the state, 50 per cent staff in government offices can come to work, the guidelines said.

Crowded places like malls, theaters and metro rail, however, will remain shut. Schools and colleges will not be open either.

There will also be no social, political, sports events or religious functions, said the state despite the Centre's cautious approval for the resumption of such gatherings in a limited manner.

Maharashtra has logged more than 7.5 lakh cases of coronavirus --  a chunk of the country's 36 lakh-plus cases. This morning, the country registered more than 78,000 fresh instances of the disease for the second consecutive day, the maximum single-day spike the world has seen.

The Union health ministry said seven states have contributed to 70 per cent of these new cases. Maharashtra has contributed the maximum caseload, amounting to almost 21 per cent.