THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the state's Omicron tally rising to 64 with the addition of seven new cases, the Kerala government issued a new order on Wednesday, ruling out any exemption for places of worship that are subject to the already announced night curfew (10 p.m.-5 a.m.) from Thursday to January 2.

The administration said in a statement that the new prohibition will apply to religious sites as well as social and cultural events. The new directive was issued following numerous calls from various sources asking if the New Year might be celebrated at places of worship, particularly churches, as this is a long-standing tradition.

On certain days, people have been urged to stay indoors from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., with strong enforcements in place to prevent undesired travel. Those who do travel must carry a self-declaration of their reason for venturing out with them. On all four days, all shops and establishments, including clubs, pubs, hotels, and restaurants, must close their doors by 10 p.m. This would apply to beaches, and movie theatres would be unable to screen films after 10 p.m.

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