With Covid positivity rate in Punjab coming down to 2 per cent, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced easing of restrictions, allowing restaurants and other eating joints as well as cinemas and gyms to open at 50 per cent capacity starting June 16. He also increased the number in gatherings of people, including for weddings and cremations, to 50 persons.
Under the new guidelines, which will remain in effect till June 25 when they will be again reviewed, daily night curfew will be in place from 8 pm to 5 am, with weekend curfew from 8.00 pm on Saturday up to 5.00 am on Monday, across the state. However, all essential activities, including those covered under existing ‘Exemptions’, will remain unaffected, unhindered and exempted from curfew restrictions.
Chairing a high-level virtual Covid review meeting, the Chief Minister ordered opening of all restaurants (including the ones in hotels), cafes, coffee shops, fast food outlets, dhabas, cinemas and gyms at a maximum capacity of 50 per cent, subject to all their employees having received at least one dose of vaccination. AC buses can also ply with 50 per cent occupancy. Bars, pubs and ‘ahatas’ shall, however, continue to remain closed. All educational institutions will also continue to be closed.
District Authorities have been asked to determine opening timings of non-essential shops, including on Sunday, on the basis of the local situation, while ensuring that crowds are avoided. District Authorities shall also continue to ensure strict implementation of all the extant directives of MHA/state government on Covid appropriate behaviour, including social/physical distancing, wearing of face masks, etc.
With the daily case count dropping to 50, the Chandigarh administration also decided to further relax curbs in the city on Tuesday.
An official spokesman said that all shops will now remain open from 10 am to 7 pm and the owners have been asked to ensure that Covid protocol is duly followed.
All restaurants/bars can remain open with 50 per cent capacity from 10 am to 10 pm.
The night curfew in the city will be from 10.30 pm to 5 am. The decision regarding Sunday closure would be taken subsequently, officials said.
The state had hit its second wave peak on May 8, with 9,100 cases, which had come down to a low of 629 on June 14.
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