Tokens for entry, no ‘prasad’ at religious places
■ Movie halls to stay closed
New Delhi, June 7: A token system for regulated entry and no physical offerings like ‘prasad’ will be some of the norms as shopping malls, religious places, hotels and restaurants are set to reopen in most states from Monday after over two months that could pose new challenges to check the spread of the coronavirus.
As India prepares for a calibrated exit from the lockdown by easing more restrictions, ‘Unlock-1’ — the first of the threephase plan for reopening of prohibited activities in non-containment zones with a stringent set of Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) — kicks in at a time when the country recorded a daily jump of Covid-19 cases by over 9,000 for the fifth straight day on Sunday. The SOPs will be in place till June 30.
India registered its highest single-day spike of 9,971 new infections taking the total to 2,46,628 and 287 deaths in the 24 hours since Saturday morning, the Union health ministry said.
There also has been an uptick in cases in states like West Bengal which recorded the highest single-day spike for the third day in a row with 449 cases taking the tally to 8,187.
A visit to the shopping malls, hotels and restaurants and religious places will no longer be the same
like before the lockdown imposed on March 25 after the Union health ministry issued the SOPs for strict adherence to contain the spread of Covid-19.
In the malls, cinema halls, gaming arcades and children play areas will continue to be in the prohibited segment.
The SOPs are advisory in nature and the Centre has left it to the states to finetune the details.
The Punjab government, for example, provides for a token-based entry to malls as part of its guidelines. In Gujarat, some of the religious places have decided to organise prayers in shifts and even start a token system to specify time slots to devotees for visits in a bid to maintain social distancing and avoid crowding.