Maharashtra Tightens Covid Curbs: Movement In Groups Prohibited. Schools, Gyms Closed | Key Points

The new set of rules was announced hours after Maharashtra on Saturday reported as many as 41,434 new Covid cases and 13 deaths.

A BMC health worker collects swab samples for Covid-19 test of passengers arriving on outstation trains at CSMT station. (File Photo/ Getty)

Mumbai: Amid the ongoing surge in daily Covid-19 caseload, Maharashtra on Saturday announced fresh guidelines to rein the spread of the contagious virus in the state. As per the new guidelines, no movement in group of five people or more will be allowed between 5 am till 11 pm across the state.

Further, no movement will be allowed in public from 11 pm to 5 am except for essential services, a government circular said.

Measure to contain the spread of COVID pic.twitter.com/S6FG4EEU1R

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) January 8, 2022

The new set of rules was announced hours after Maharashtra on Saturday reported as many as 41,434 new Covid cases and 13 deaths with active cases in the state reaching 1,73,238 mark. With 13 more fatalities in last 24 hours, Maharashtra's Covid death toll now stands at 1,41,627.

Omicron tally in the state has now surged to 1,009.

New Curbs Announced By Maharashtra Govt

1. Prohibition on movement in public in groups of five or more from 5 am till 11 pm, effective January 10 midnight. Additionally, no movement will be allowed in public from 11 pm to 5 am except for essential services

2. Attendance at marriages and social, religious, cultural or political gatherings will be capped at 50. At funerals, not more than 20 persons can remain present, the circular added.

3. Meanwhile, all swimming pools, gyms, spas, wellness centres, beauty salons will remain closed across the state. Hair-cutting salons will function at 50 per cent capacity.

4. Entertainment parks, zoos, museums, forts and other ticketed places for public will be closed. Shopping malls and market complexes can operate at 50 per cent capacity and information about the present number of visitors should be displayed on a notice-board.

5. Only fully vaccinated people will be allowed to enter malls and shopping complexes and these establishments will be closed after 10 pm.

6. Cinema theatres and drama halls will also function at 50 per cent capacity. Public transport will be allowed only for fully vaccinated persons.

7. Restaurants and eateries will also function at 50 per cent capacity and present number of visitors will be displayed on the notice board. They too can remain open only till 10 pm.

8. No visitors will be allowed at government offices except with the written permission of office heads. Online interaction facilities will be provided for people through video conferencing.

9. The new guidelines also stated that government offices should opt for work from home and working hours should be staggered if work from office is required.

10. Private offices have also been asked to rationalize the number of employees coming to work by allowing work from home and staggering working hours.

11. Sporting events would be deferred, except national and international-level competitions already scheduled. However, such events would take place without spectators and with creation of bio- bubble for players and officials.

12. RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen Tests will be mandatory for players and officials every third day of the event or tournament, the circular said.

13. Competitive exams, where hall tickets have been issued, will be held as per the central government guidelines. All other future exams will be conducted only after receiving permission from the State Disaster Management Authority.