Our Correspondent
Imphal, Oct. 5 (EMN): Manipur government has announced to ease Covid-19 lockdown restriction in the northeastern border state, including allowing social gatherings, reopening of religious places with Covid Appropriate Behaviour(CAB).
The government also announced to shorten the duration of the night curfew hour. The night curfew period will now be from 8.30pm to 4am till October 21.
Manipur chief secretary Dr. Rajesh Kumar, who is the chairman of the state executive committee of the state disaster management authority, issued an order in this regard on Monday. However, the order did not mention about the reopening of the educational institutions.
As per the order, social gatherings are allowed subject to ensuring CAB that is wearing of masks, maintaining physical distance between one another etc are followed by all present in the venue.
“The gathering should preferably be in open halls and spaces,” it said.
“In case it is held in enclosed space or halls, the number of people inside should not be more than 50% capacity of the hall/space.”
Similarly religious places may also open subject to the concerned authorities of the religious establishment ensuring that CAB that is, wearing of masks, maintaining physical distance between one another etc are followed by all devotees present in temple/church/mosque etc.
Open halls or space should be preferred venues for religious gatherings. However if they are organised in an enclosed hall/space, it should be ensured that the number of persons do not exceed 50% of the capacity of the enclosed hall or space, it added.
“The Deputy Commissioners shall issue necessary orders and Superintendent of Police shall take necessary action to implement the order strictly,” the order stated.
According to the order, government offices should start functioning normally with e-office and physical attendance of all employees by taking adequate precaution and strictly following CAB.
All vehicle workshops may open from 7am to 5pm on all days taking adequate precaution and strictly following CAB. The vegetable vendors are allowed to open from 7am to 4pm while grocery shops from 7am to 5pm.
Hotels for lodging are allowed to remain open while the restaurants and cafes are allowed to open from 10 am to 8 pm subject to ensuring CAB. Banks, insurance offices and postal offices may function normally without the shortened working hours stipulated earlier, it said.
Meanwhile the state reported 157 new Covid 19 positive cases, when 2,681 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, officials said. Thus the state’s total infection tally increased to 1,21,303.
The total number of active cases stands at 1,724.So far, 11,7,708 have recovered while the state reported three Covid deaths in the last 24 hours. Thus the state’s Covid-19 death toll increased to 1,871.
