Pune: Night curfew, travel restrictions and social distancing norms dampened the new year celebration mood in the city. Several party hotspots wore a deserted look with almost no vehicles and crowds to cheer and welcome the new year. As a result, police and district administration officials heaved a sigh of relief as it has reduced the risk of coronavirus infection spread in the new year.
Most of the Punekars opted to celebrate the new year parties at home amid the COVID19 scare. Prominent party spots such as Mahatma Gandhi (MG) road in Camp area, Fergusson College (FC) road, Jangli Maharaj (JM) road too witnessed very less crowd. Every year thousands of people throng to these locations to welcome the new year.
Jangli Maharaj Road (Pic Credit: sarkarsatta.com)
One of the owners of restaurants in the city said, “The night curfew has affected the customer footfall and many people preferred to order food home through online delivery platforms.”
Every year, December 31 is one of the days where we generate huge revenue but amid night curfew the restaurant and food sector has been badly affected.” Also, many opted for virtual parties via video conferencing apps. Puneites also enjoyed some good grub accompanied by funny anecdotes and got the house in splits of laughter when the minute hand ticked to 12.
Tejas Poojari says, “Due to restrictions and COVID19 spread, we chose to celebrate and welcome the new year at home with limited guests.”