COVID-19: Bars to remain open in Kerala with precautionary measures
Kerala's retail liquor outlets run by the government, numbering over 260, and bars are infamous for heavy crowds, sparking fears in the medical community about the risk of coronavirus transmission at such places.
Kerala: Those entering the bar must sanitise themselves, by washing hands with soap or using a hand-sanitiser which must be kept at the entrance. (Representational Image)
Bars and pubs will remain open in Kerala, albeit with precautionary measures, in the wake of the COVID-19 spread in the state, the cabinet decided Wednesday. The decision will be formally announced later in the day.
The cabinet is learnt to have recommended that managements running bars and pubs in the state can continue doing so, although they must take precautions with respect to maintaining sanitation inside. Those entering the bar must sanitise themselves, by washing hands with soap or using a hand-sanitiser which must be kept at the entrance. Also, tables inside must be stacked in such a way that they are not close to each other. The tables and chairs must be constantly sanitised using disinfectants. The waiters at the bars must also ensure personal hygiene. The state’s excise department will be tasked to ensure that each of the bars under its jurisdiction follow the safety measures.
The discussion regarding the possible closure of bars at the cabinet meeting came up after Opposition leaders, several health experts and the state chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) recommended the same to ensure total compliance of social distancing in the state.
The state’s retail liquor outlets run by the government, numbering over 260, and bars are infamous for heavy crowds, sparking fears in the medical community about the risk of transmission at such places. Moreover, a petition has been filed in the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to close all the retail liquor outlets run by the state government in the state. The court has asked for the response of the government.
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The Kerala government has maintained that while people must exercise caution and personal hygiene in the wake of the virus outbreak, their social lives must go on too. A stringent clampdown on the social life of the public could severely hamper their morale. Moreover, for a state whose finances are in shambles, closure of bars and retail liquor outlets could further dent its economic recovery. In 2018-19, the state’s liquor monopoly BEVCO registered Rs 14,000 crores worth of sales.
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