Places of worship, malls and restaurants are re-opening in most states today as part of what it called “Unlock1”, more than two months after they were closed to check the spread of the coronavirus. The government had on Thursday announced new rules for allowing shopping malls, restaurants, hotels and places of worship to open gradually following the nationwide lockdown. The guidelines, which come into effect from today, include measures like staggering visitors to malls and no touching of idols at religious places.
The richest and most visited temple in the world, the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirumala, reopened today. Unlike earlier when 80,000 to a lakh people visited the Tirumala Tirupati temple every day, only 6,873 people have made online bookings to visit the as part of the trial opening, following all social distancing norms. Only people from Tirumala and Tirupati regions will be allowed inside the temple for darshan for the first two to three days. The temple management has written to the centre, asking them to allow theertham (holy water) to be given to devotees.
Religious places, hotels and restaurants will not be allowed to open today in Maharashtra which has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in India. Private offices will be given permission to resume from today with 10 per cent staff. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) have resumed operations from today to carry passengers to their workplaces. However, only 30 people can sit and five can stand in a single bus. Only one passenger will be allowed per seat.
Several temples and gurdwaras reopened in Delhi this morning. At Bangla Sahib Gurdwara, devotees started coming in the morning. There are placards at every few meters with messages on social distancing. Other introductions include thermal scanners and foot pedal-based sanitiser dispensers Many churches in Delhi, however, have decided to not to reopen just yet. “Malls, restaurants and religious places will be opening from Monday in Delhi in accordance with the centre’s guidelines,” Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said .
