India Unlocks: OYO Restarts Operations Partially, In 13 States And 4 Union Territories

New Delhi: Budget hotel chain OYO resumed operations on Monday in select cities of 13 states and four Union Territories.

“It has been a long wait, but we’re delighted to welcome our guests once again to our select hotels across India,” OYO Founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal tweeted.

A new set of government guidelines came into effect on Monday as part of its plan to unlock the country’s economy, with hotels being allowed to reopen by following restrictions and norms issued by Union Health ministry.

Hotels, restaurants and shopping malls across the country had to stop operations from March 25 as part of the Union government’s coronavirus-necessitated nationwide lockdown.

OYO has properties in 28 states and nine Union Territories in India, but have restarted operations in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, West Bengal, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Daman & Diu as of now.

Bookings will be accepted for properties that have been cleared as per the company’s ‘Sanitised Stay’ initiative launched last month to prepare hotels for reopening.

Among the new measures to be followed are use of masks, gloves, sanitizers, practising social distancing among workers and guests, requesting guests to carry their own luggage, temperature checks of staff and guests.