Mumbai Local Trains for Fully Vaccinated Start from Today; What's Open, What's Shut in Maharashtra

Maharashtra’s new Covid-19 norms will come into effect from August 15 as the government further relaxes curbs it had put in place in May when the second wave of coronavirus was wreaking havoc in the state.

The Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra government had on Wednesday decided to allow shopping malls and restaurants to remain open till 10 pm with a 50 per cent capacity from Sunday, provided the entire staff is fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Shops are also allowed to operate till 10 pm. Talking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope had said spas and gymnasiums will also be allowed to function till 10 pm at a 50 per cent capacity on the condition that the entire staff at these establishments has taken both doses of the vaccine.

Here is a comprehensive list of relaxations:

1. Local Train services — Travel by local train shall be allowed for frontline health workers, essential service workers, and citizens who have received both doses of Covid vaccine and have completed 14 days after the second dose. Citizens will need to carry a copy of a valid final Covid vaccination Certificate and photo identity card.  Failure to produce such certificates or if found in possession of a false certificate, the traveler shall be levied a penalty of Rs 500.

2. Restaurants — All restaurants (Open-air or otherwise) shall be permitted to remain open with 50% sitting capacity subject to the following terms and conditions :

• Wearing masks is compulsory even while waiting.
• All employees including managers, waiters, cook/chefs, cleaning staff, bartenders must wear masks all the time and must have received 2 doses of Covid vaccine and 14 days must have passed since 2™ dose of vaccine. Only such persons can work in any restaurant and bar.
• If the restaurant/bar is air-conditioned, then at least two windows (if windows are available) and the door, need to be kept open and fans should be installed inside for air circulation.
• The restrooms/toilets must have high capacity exhaust fans.
• The arrangement for sitting (Dine-in) must be in such a way that prescribed physical distancing can be maintained.
• The restaurant/bar must be sanitized/disinfected from time to time and sanitizer dispensers should be available for the customers.
• Subject to the above conditions restaurants/bars are allowed to remain open all days till 10 pm and the last order of food should not be taken beyond 9.00 pm. But parcel services are allowed to operate all 24 hours of the day.

3. Shops — All shops (essential and non-essential) are allowed to remain open till 10.00 pm on all days, provided all employees including managers, cleaning staff, must have completed covid vaccination and 14 days must have elapsed since the second dose of vaccine.

4. Shopping Malls — All Shopping Malls in the state are allowed to remain open till 10.00 pm on all days, provided all customers/citizens entering in the mail and All employees including managers and housekeeping staff have been vaccinated and 14 days must have elapsed since second dose of Covid vaccine. All customers/citizens need to show their final Covid vaccination certificate with Photo identity proof at entry point of the mall.

5. Gymnasiums, Yoga Centers, salons and spas — Gymnasiums, Yoga Centers, saloons, beauty parlors, spas are allowed to remain open with 50% capacity till 10.00 pm on all days if premises are air-conditioned then for circulation of air, the fan should be switched on and windows and doors should be kept open.

All employees including managers, cleaning staff, must have a valid final Covid vaccination certificate of having received 2 doses and 14 days must have elapsed after the second dose of the vaccine.

6. Indoor Sports — Indoor Sports like badminton, table-tennis, Squash, parallel bar, Mallkhamb, are allowed, limited to two sportspersons per sport subject to the condition that all Sports persons/Members including managers, cleaning staff, must have valid final Covid vaccination certificate of having received 2 doses of vaccine and 14 days must have elapsed since the second dose of vaccine.

Also Read | Relaxation of Rules in Mumbai Now Permits People Under-18 To Visit Malls, Staff Need to Be Jabbed Once

7. Offices/Industrial and Service Establishment — 

• Vaccination of all Government/Semi-Government Employees/Essential services employees including Bank, railways and municipal Corporation, etc. should be done on a priority basis.
• Those Private/Industrial establishments where all employees/management are fully vaccinated are allowed to work with full capacity.
• The offices and establishment should explore to plan for employees working from home and also stagger the working hours to avoid crowding.
• For staggering of work hours Private Offices are allowed to remain open for 24 hours of the day, provided there should not be more than 25 % of total employee strength in each work session.

8. Public Gardens/beaches/Playgrounds — All Public Gardens, playgrounds, chowpaties, and sea beaches are allowed to remain open as per scheduled regular timing prescribed by the concerned local authority.

9. Marriages —  Wedding functions in the state have been allowed based on the following rules.

• Marriage functions would be permitted at open-air premises/pandals/lawns and also marriage halls but with 50 % of normal seating capacity with observance of proper Covid appropriate behavior norms.
• Marriage functions at open-air premises/pandals/lawns are allowed with 50% of the normal seating capacity of premises with a maximum limit of 200 persons.
• Marriages at closed premises like Hotels/Marriage halls are allowed with 50% of the normal seating capacity of premises but a maximum limit of 100 persons.
• Video recording of such functions would be mandatory and should be made available to the competent authority on demand to verify the observance of Covid appropriate behavior. Defaulters shall be penalized and the license of the said premises shall be canceled. in case of any violation of guidelines.
• All management/staff including the priest, catering service staff, band staff,photographers, cleaning staff, or any other staff related to marriage event musthave valid final Covid vaccination certificate of having received 2 doses of Covidvaccine and 14 days must have passed after second dose of vaccine.

10. Cinema halls and Multiplex — All cinema theaters, drama theaters, and multiplexes (independent as well as those inside malls) shall remain closed till further orders.

11. Worship places — All places of worship in the State shall remain closed to the public till further orders.

12. Inter-state Travelling — All passengers entering the state of Maharashtra must carry a certificate of having received 2 doses of Covid vaccine and 14 days must have elapsed since the second dose of vaccine. Failing which they need to provide a Negative Rt-PCR test report issued up to a maximum of 72 hours prior to arrival in the state, otherwise, they need to be quarantined for 14 days.

13. Other events — In order to avoid crowding, as per directives of the Supreme Court and Government of India, a ban has been imposed on birthday celebrations, political, social, religious, and cultural events, elections, campaigning, rallies, protest marches shall be continued.

14. Lockdown again— As the availability of medical oxygen in the state is limited, if the number of Covid patients increases and the requirement of medical oxygen for treatment of Covid patients exceeds 700 metric tones per day, strict lockdown and other restrictive measures shall be imposed in whole the state with immediate effect.

15. List of vaccinated employees — All shops, offices, industrial establishments, hotels, bar and malls are required to keep a list of their employees on their establishments who have received both doses of Covid vaccine and 14 days have elapsed after the second Dose of Covid Vaccination..

16. Hygiene —  All shop/restaurant/bar/mall owners should do regular disinfection and sanitization of premises. They should also make arrangements for random temperature checkups and also install mask dispensers and keep the facility to separately collect biomedical waste (used mask and tissue papers) and dispose of it.

Anyone found violating the above orders is liable for punishment under various provisions of the Epidemic Act, 1897, Disaster management Act, 2005, and Indian Panel Code, 1860.

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