Punjab cinemas, gyms can open at 50% capacity

CHANDIGARH: With Covid positivity rate to in Punjab falling to 2%, chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced that restaurants and other eating joints, as well as cinemas and gyms could open at 50% capacity from Wednesday. The number of people who can be present at weddings and cremations has been raised to 50.
Under the new guidelines, which will remain in effect till June 25, daily night curfew from 8 pm to 5 am and weekend curfew from 8 pm on Saturday up to 5 am on Monday, will continue across the state. However, all essential activities, including those covered under existing ‘exemptions’, will remain unaffected, unhindered and exempted from curfew restrictions.
Chairing a Covid review meeting, the chief minister ordered opening of all restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, dhabas, cinemas and gyms at maximum 50% of capacity, subject to all employees having received at least one dose of vaccination.
While air-conditioned buses can ply at 50% occupancy, bars, pubs and ‘Ahatas’ shall, however, continue to remain closed. So will schools and colleges.
District authorities have been asked to determine opening timings of non-essential shops, including on Sunday, on the basis of the local situation, while ensuring that crowding is avoided. District authorities shall also continue to ensure strict implementation of all the extant directives of MHA/ state government on Covid appropriate behaviour, including social/physical distancing, and wearing of face masks.
The announcements came after state chief secretary Vini Mahajan, citing a University of Cambridge Judge Business School report of June 14, on Growth of Infection in Punjab, told the meeting all districts are on downward trajectories for new cases. “The estimated trend value of the daily growth rate was -9.2% as of June 14, 2021. This implies that reported new cases will halve in 7 days, under the assumption that the growth rate remains constant. As of June 14, 2021, the estimated Reproduction number (Rt) for Punjab stood at 0.69, significantly below one. Newly reported Covid-19 cases are likely to decline to about 210 per day by June 28, 2021,” she added.
The state had hit its second wave peak on May 8, with 9,100 cases, which had come down to a low of 629 on June 14.