The Kerala government on Friday sanctioned the door-to-door delivery of food from hotels and bakeries till 8 p.m. Shops selling essential supplies can also undertake door delivery till 8 pm.
Officials said the order was "one step at a time" move to wake Kerala from hibernation without causing an uncontrollable influx of people into public spaces.
They cautioned that the order did not indicate that the threat of the epidemic had receded or the government had relaxed the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight districts in Kerala remained "COVID-19 hotspots" technically.
However, the State government had found it imperative to restore normal life and economic activity in phases. It has now set up an expert committee to chart out an action plan to walk back Kerala from the national lockdown in carefully planned stages.
Officials said the order would not alter the ground situation. Hotels and restaurants cannot entertain any customer at their takeaway counter after 5 p.m. They also cannot allow tight lines of customers, serve guests or allow patrons inside their precincts.
Hotels could accept orders online and also through mobile phone until 8 p.m. However, the door-to-door delivery and allied catering operations, including cooking, should halt by 9 p.m. "The delivery services cannot operate beyond 9 p.m.", an official said.
Officials said the same norm would apply to shops selling essential supplies and also bakeries.
The government might soon exempt courier agents contracted by major online retailers from the curfew.
However, it might take more time for online retail majors to resume delivery of goods to Kerala because the Centre has allowed only essential supplies to move across inter-State borders. The inter-State travel and cargo movement regulations might be in place even after April 14, an official said.
The order has come as a boost for online food demand and delivery platforms. Most had scaled down operations after the Centre imposed the national lockdown on March 24.
It might breathe some life into the moribund hotel industry and create a modest number of jobs immediately.
The restoration of home delivery would provide essential work to hundreds of persons across Kerala.
However, their employers would have to give delivery persons personal protective equipment and follow the anti-epidemic health protocol.
The Food and Safety department would step up their inspections of hotels as the establishments open up to cater to online orders, which the government expects to surge.
The government-owned Consumerfed and Supply co-markets had also pitched strongly for the home delivery option. The Excise department was working on the modalities of a proposal to deliver legal liquor home based on orders received online.
However, the sale of liquor was a politically touchy subject in Kerala, and the government might defer any decision regarding alcohol sales after the lockdown period ended on April 14.
