Covid Restrictions Eased In Maharashtra’s 14 Districts: Cinema Halls & Restaurants To Function At Full Capacity

90 percent of the eligible population has taken at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines in these districts, said a government notification, PTI reported.

Mumbai: Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government on Wednesday eased Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions and allowed shopping complexes, restaurants, cinema halls and theaters to operate at 100 percent capacity in 14 out of 36 districts in Maharashtra.

90 percent of the eligible population has taken at least one dose of anti-coronavirus vaccines in these districts, said a government notification, PTI reported.

The government notification added that over 70 percent people are fully vaccinated in these districts.

The Covid positivity rate in these areas is less than 10 percent and occupancy of oxygen-supported or ICU beds is less than 40 percent.

Covid-19 pandemic-related restrictions have been eased in the districts of Mumbai city, Mumbai suburban district, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Nagpur, Raigad, Wardha, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Kolhapur.

The notification said social, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious, political and festival-linked events, including those related to marriages and funerals and other gatherings and congregations, are now permitted in these districts with attendance at 50 percent of the venue capacity.

The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will have to be informed if a gathering is expected to be of more than 1,000 persons.

The DDMA may impose reasonable restrictions.

The attendance at such events for other districts will be capped at 50 percent of the capacity or 200, whichever is less.

The notification said all shopping complexes, cinema halls, restaurants and bars, sports complexes, gyms, spas, swimming pools, religious places, drama theatres, tourist places, entertainment parks etc are allowed to operate with 100 percent capacity in these 14 districts.

The notification added that these shall operate at 50 percent of the capacity for other administrative units (remaining 22 districts of the state) excluded from this list.

The notification further said the State Executive Committee (SEC) has decided to ease the norms based on inputs of the state health department as well as the government’s Covid Task Force and considering the present pandemic situation.

The state government’s decision comes as Maharashtra has witnessed a steady decline in new daily Covid-19 cases.

Easing some restrictions, the state government had earlier on January 31 while issuing the guidelines said that swimming pools, water-parks, theatres and restaurants can operate with 50 percent capacity subject to permission of the competent authority in the districts of Mumbai, Pune, Bhandara, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Satara, Sangli, Gondia, Kolhapur and Chandrapur.