Food delivery companies Zomato and Swiggy have said they will not take orders after 8 pm in Maharashtra, reported India Today. The companies sent in-app notifications to their users, asking them to order food before 8 pm on Monday, the first day when the new restrictions imposed to contain the coronavirus came into effect in the state.
The Maharashtra government has imposed night curfew and weekend lockdown amid an alarming rise in coronavirus cases in the state. Under this new set of rules, a night curfew will be in effect from 8 pm to 7 am on weekdays. A weekend lockdown will be imposed from 8 pm on Fridays to 7 am on Mondays. Restaurants are allowed take-away orders, parcels and home delivery services between 7 am and 8 pm on the weekdays and only home delivery between the same time duration on weekends. The order will remain in effect till April 30.
When ordering food after 8 pm, Zomato app displays a message: “We’re currently not accepting orders online. We’ll be back soon.”
Swiggy also said it was not delivering post 8 pm. “We are not delivering here at the moment,” the message said.
Swiggy said that it will comply with the government’s orders. “We continue to cooperate with the government in its efforts to fight the pandemic,” a Swiggy spokesperson said. “Last month we announced that we’re prioritising creating awareness across our delivery fleet and extending our Covid-19 cover to include their vaccination cost. In light of the requirements for Maharashtra, we will also cover the cost of their RT-PCR test.”
Maharashtra is the worst-affected state by the coronavirus pandemic in India. On Monday, the state recorded 47,288 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 30,57,885. With 155 deaths, the toll climbed to 56,044.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!