All businesses must operate until 7 p.m.

Dechen Dolkar

All businesses including bakeries, paper shops, hardware stores and pot shops can operate until 7 p.m. if the owners reside in the same area, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) .

He, however, said take-out restaurants could only operate from March 21 after travel is allowed in the respective mega-zones.

He also said that from March 28, all other business entities can open except entertainment centers.

Thimphu thromde also issued a notification yesterday stating that auto shops, clothing and yarn stores, kitchen utensils or home decor stores, electronics stores, cell phone repair, barbers, cobblers, bookstores, religious goods stores, florists, agricultural and agricultural machinery stores, cosmetics and accessories stores and optical stores are allowed to open if the owners or workers live in the same zoned.

The Paro dzongkhag Covid-19 task force also announced that bakeries, paper mills, vegetable market sheds, clothing stores and pot shops are allowed to open provided the owners or employees remain in the even gewog or throm.

He also said that except for the red cluster, inter-gewog or throm or satellite city movement will be allowed.

According to the PMO, businesses can operate until 9 p.m. from April 24.

The press release said the business calendar will be maintained and reviewed for a month, and if the situation does not worsen, it will be lifted with consideration of the opening of all entertainment centers thereafter.

A clothing store owner in Thimphu said he paid the salaries of five shop assistants with full payment, although the stores remained closed. “We also paid half the rent.”

The owner said he would not be able to eliminate the winter stock. “By this month, all winter stock is eliminated.”