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Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 30 (EMN): With the expiry of the lockdown on Wednesday, the Kohima district administration has issued new regulations by further easing the lockdown restrictions under "Unlock Phase-I" starting from July 1 to the 10th.
In an order issued on Wednesday evening, the deputy commissioner of Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie, stated that the practice of 'No Mask-No Movement' and 'No Mask-No Entry' would be strictly enforced in all public places by the Kohima district task force (DTF) and law enforcing agencies.
It informed that shops/business establishments dealing with all kinds of goods, items, articles, including those dealing with essential goods and commodities such as vegetables, fish/ meat vendors, milk booths, bakeries, local grocery stores are permitted to open from 6 am to 2 pm only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and remain close on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays except pharmacies.
"Respective shop/ business establishments shall ensure that there is no overcrowding in the shops," the order read, adding, "Cashless mode of payment should be encouraged as far as possible".
The owners/ management of shopping complexes/market places in and around municipal areas have been directed to ensure that only 50% of the shops are open on permitted days of opening and that no two shops adjacent to each other are open on the same day.
It informed that necessary arrangement and monitoring should be worked out by Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) and Kohima Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) for the same.
Restaurants/ eateries are said to be allowed to operate take-away/ food delivery on all days. However, a proper queue system should be maintained for all customers to ensure physical distance in addition to mandatory wearing of masks and practicing hand hygiene, the district administration reminded.
The delivery of LPGs and e-commerce service operators will also be allowed to operate on all days, while delivery personnel of all categories are advised to display vaccination status in their delivery vehicles.
“Contactless delivery should be ensured at all times along with maintaining Covid appropriate behaviours as well as mandatory wearing of mask/ gloves, maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing. Cashless mode of payment should be encouraged as far as possible," the order read.
Besides keeping hand sanitizers for use by the visitors and taking measures for ensuring Covid-19 appropriate behaviours at all times, shops/ business establishments have been informed to prominently display the status of vaccination of all the shopkeepers/ staff present in the shop/ business establishment.
Owners of barber shops, beauty parlours, spas etc have been asked to seek permission through an application to DTF by indicating the status of vaccination of their staff and strategies to be adopted to ensure minimal contact with customers before running their services as close physical interaction cannot be avoided at such establishments.
"Only after due approval of the Kohima district task force on Covid-19, they shall be permitted to open. Permit of the DTF on Covid-19 and status of vaccination shall be prominently displayed at the entrance of all barber shops, beauty parlours, spas and salons," the order issued by deputy commissioner who is also the chairman of DTF added.
The order also informed that all government offices in the district may open with 50% attendance of staff on any day with adherence to Covid-19 behaviour at all times. It stated that the other 50% staff not attending on any day would work from home and be available on phone/mail for dealing with any urgent office work. In the meantime, it also allowed the private offices in the district which could function with up to 50% attendance subjected to adherence of Covid-19 behaviour.
Religious place(s) of worship are allowed to be opened subject to an attendance of not more than 50 persons with strict adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. In cases where the place of worship has a capacity where physical distance cannot be maintained by 50 persons, the number of attendees should be accordingly reduced, it stated.
Wedding solemnisation, funerals and sports training would be allowed with an attendance of not more than 50 persons and subjected to adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour and applicable of SOPs issued from time to time. However, wedding receptions would continue to remain suspended. In cases where the aforementioned events are held in enclosed space/ indoors, the number of attendees should be reduced accordingly to ensure that physical distance is maintained at all times.
The deputy commissioner has also permitted light motor vehicles including taxis to ply within the district on odd-even basis. Only 50% occupancy would be allowed in all light motor vehicles to maintain physical distance while taxis should ply with only two passengers and without any passenger in the front seat along with plastic barrier/sheet.
However, taxis are not authorised to charge fares higher than those fixed by the RTA vide order dated 06.10.2020. The vaccination status of taxi drivers should also be prominently displayed in the windshield of the taxi.
Buses and two- wheeler taxis service and pillion riding would continue to remain suspended while mass public transportation and inter-district movement of people for non- essential services would also continue to remain suspended.
Meanwhile, all movement of persons/vehicles, except for exempted categories/ medical emergencies will remain restricted from 7 pm to 4 am.
Movement of private vehicles would be allowed as per odd-even system under the jurisdiction of KMC except on Sundays.
All other activities which are otherwise not permitted shall continue to be strictly restricted.
The district administration informed that the order would be implemented with immediate effect till July 10. It further warned any action(s) in contravention with the order would be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code.