New Delhi: With Covid-19 cases in the country progressively declining over the past four months, the home ministry has further eased guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution, permitting states and Union territories to decide on the extent of attendance at social, cultural and religious gatherings, rescinding the 50 percent occupancy limit for cinema halls and throwing open swimming pools to all. The relaxations will apply to areas outside of containment zones.
Notably, Swimming pools had reopened for sportspersons final year. The centre has now permitted every person to use them. “Now swimming pools will be permitted for use of all, for which a revised standard of procedure will be issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYA&S) in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs.”
The government in its recommendations also showed that it could enhance the permitted strength for gatherings. It mentioned, “religious/Social/ entertainment/ sports/ cultural/ educational/ religious gatherings have already been permitted upto a maximum of 50 pc of the hall capacity.
All activities are now permitted outside containment zones, barring a few that will be subject to strict adherence of standard operating procedures (SOPs). Social and other types of gatherings will not need to be limited to the previous restriction of 50% of hall capacity with a ceiling of 200 people in closed spaces. States and UTs can, starting February 1, allow such gatherings subject to their own SOPs with the Centre no longer playing a role in setting the rules.
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