The Indian Medical Association's Gujarat chapter has urged the state government to impose stricter restrictions to control the spread of COVID-19, by limiting the number of people in public gatherings, restaurants and cinema halls, and discontinuing offline classes in primary schools. In a letter to the state government and public, the IMA also called for an extension of night curfew timings eight cities from 11 pm to 6 am from the present 11 pm to 5 am.
The state government must further limit the number of people allowed at social, religious and political gatherings, and close offline classes at primary schools and consider shifting to online mode, in case of a rise in cases, the IMA Gujarat stated in the letter. The association also recommended allowing other classes to run in shifts or on odd-even basis to control the spread of infection. The IMA Gujarat in its advisory said that Omicron, a highly contagious variant of COVID-19, could adversely affect health and economy if immediate action is not taken to control it through additional restrictions.
Public gatherings should be banned and all such celebrations that lead to crowding should be avoided, it said. The maximum number of people allowed for a marriage, social, religious or political functions should be restricted to 25 per cent of the full capacity of the venues, with no more than 200 people in an enclosed space, and 350 in open spaces, the association stated.
Restaurants, health clubs and cinema halls should not be allowed to operate with more than 50 per cent of their capacities, and no more than 35 per cent of the audience should be allowed in a stadium. The IMA also called for the extension of night curfew timings from 11 pm to 6 am, from the existing 11 pm to 5 am.
As per the current restrictions imposed by the state government, restaurants can operate with 75 per cent of their full capacity, cinema halls at 100 per cent and gyms at 75 per cent. No more than 400 persons are allowed in an open space at social, religious and political functions, with no more than 50 per cent of the capacity of an enclosed space not exceeding 400.
The IMA Gujarat also urged the state government to expedite vaccination. People should strictly follow COVID-19 guidelines and opt for N95 or surgical masks over other varieties, and use hand sanitisers regularly. They should immediately contact the doctors if they show symptoms like fever, cough, body ache, etc., it said.
People visiting educational institutes, playgrounds and public places should be made to strictly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, the IMA stated in the letter. Gujarat had on Monday recorded 1,258 new cases of coronavirus, which was the highest single-day spike in the last seven months.
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