Covid-19 curbs eased for Mumbai, 10 districts as infections decline

With Covid-19 cases again dropping, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday further eased curbs in Mumbai and 10 other districts, including permitting restaurants and theatres to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

The districts given relief are those which have completed over 90 per cent first dose of vaccination against Covid-19 and 70 per cent full inoculation till January 31 for the eligible population above 18 years, and the same would be updated every week to undo restrictions.

All national parks and tourism sites with online booking have opened with reasonable people allowed at any time, while spas have been permitted with the same 50 per cent capacity as for beauty salons and hair-cutting saloons.

While the number of people permitted for marriages has been increased to 200 or 25 per cent of any open/closed venues now, the limits on mourners at funerals has been done away with.

The state has permitted all amusement parks, restaurants, cinemas and theatres at 50 per cent capacity but opened up beaches, gardens, grounds as per normal timings, and district weekly markets shall be opened.

Additionally, District Disaster Management Authorities have been asked to decide on continuing restrictions on public movement during 11 p.m.-5 a.m., 25 per cent capacity in sporting arenas including horse-racing.

The districts are: Mumbai, Pune, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gondiya, as per the guidelines issued by Chief Secretary Debashish Chakrabarty.

For the other 25 districts, similar easing of curbs shall be permitted only with the explicit approval of the State Disaster Management Authority, since a large section of the populace remains unvaccinated, with efforts to spur the inoculation drives.

--IANS

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