Kerala government issued an order on Friday advancing the opening time of bar hotels, wine and beer parlours in the state by two hours. These establishments, which were allowed to open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from June 16, will henceforth open from 9 a.m.
Like Bevco outlets, they too can now function from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There is no change in the decision to allow only parcel sales.
The stated objective of the latest order is to reduce the rush in front of Beverages outlets in Kerala.
Since at the moment only Bevco outlets are open between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., the order said that "extraordinary rush" was experienced in front of such outlets enhancing the possibility of COVID-19 protocol violations and the chances of increased virus spread.
The High Court's recent direction to the State Government to control crowds in front of Bevco outlets has also been taken into consideration, the order said.
