West Bengal: Restaurants with vaccinated staff allowed to open from 5 to 8 pm amid Covid lockdown

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that restaurants with vaccinated staff can operate between 5 and 8 pm amid the Covid lockdown in the state.

After initial hesitation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday agreed to allow restaurants in the state to operate between 5 and 8 pm during the Covid lockdown. However, all staff members need to be vaccinated and the restaurants must follow Covid protocol, she said. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government is providing these relaxations to restaurant operators so they can conduct their business for a few hours daily in order to help the industry survive. “We don’t want hotels to stay shut,” CM Banerjee said while interacting with representatives of various industry bodies at a special meeting conducted by the state secretariat to discuss ways to boost business during the pandemic.