Ranchi: With the biggest days of Durga Puja starting from Friday, the Jharkhand government on Thursday revoked the 14-day mandatory home quarantine for those coming into the state with immediate effect and put the onus on visitors to monitor themselves for Covid-like symptoms and act as per the prescribed preventive norms.
All bars and gymnasiums outside containment zones will be allowed to open from November 1 while inter-state movement of buses will resme from November 8, the government said on Thursday night. An unlock order, signed by the chief secretary Sukhdev Singh also said schools outside containment zones can call students with consent of parents solely for the purpose of registration for various board examinations
The cap on the number of people allowed at gatherings has also be raised. “Closed auditoriums can have congregations at 50% capacity with a maximum ceiling of 200 from November 1. In open spaces, 200 people will be allowed keeping in view the size of the ground.”However, this does not apply to cinema halls as they will continue to remain closed along with entertainment parks and educational institutions. Processions, fairs, exhibition and sporting activities will also remain suspended.
An official in the state disaster management department said, “The decision to unlock was taken by the state’s high-power committee and vetted by chief minister Hemant Soren keeping the receding Covid-19 trend as well as the falling positivity rate in the state. After thorough deliberations, we have decided to unlock further in a graded manner considering demands from various quarters.”