Doors of religious places closed for devotees in Twin City

BHUBANESWAR/CUTTACK: With Covid-19 situation deteriorating day by day, the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal corporations on Tuesday imposed ban on entry of devotees to religious institutions in the Twin City to check spread of the virus. 

Bhubaneswar Municipal Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said a decision to this effect has been taken in consultation with the management committees, presidents, and secretaries of temples, mosques, gurudwaras, churches and other religious institutions. The new order will come into force from Wednesday. The daily rituals in the religious institutions and places of worship will continue with limited number of priests and staff as per Covid-19 protocol.

The religious institutions’ management committees will make provisions for thermal screening of priests and staff before entry into the premises. The committees will also require to ensure provisions of handwashing at the entry point. Use of mask will be mandatory, the order said.

“The priests and staff will have to wear masks appropriately at all times. They will need to maintain social distancing inside the institution premises,” it sated. Meanwhile, the enforcement team of BMC continued its crackdown on establishments violating Covid guidelines and sealed three institutions on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan at Kharavela Nagar, Aditya Academy and Kalinga Library at IRC Village were sealed by the squad for violation of Covid guidelines.