Places of worship, malls, restaurants to open in Kerala from Tuesday, says CM Pinarayi Vijayan
FOLLOWING poor collection of revenue due to lockdown of trade and commerce to contain the spread of COVID-19 and appreciable improvement in the coronavirus related situation, The Kerala government has issued an order on reopening of shopping malls, restaurants and places of worship outside containment zones from Tuesday, June 9 with tight restrictions. People aged 65 and above, children below 10 years and pregnant women will not be allowed to enter places of worship. Only 100 persons will be allowed in at a time, regardless of the size of the place as per the SOP sent to the concerned authorities. Only 15 devotees will be allowed in a 100 square meter area within the shrine. The age restriction is applicable to priests as well. Some of the other restrictions stipulated by the government at places of worship include a ban on distribution of prasadam -food and other offerings- to devotees, not giving sandalwood paste and ashes from a common plate, not using water from the common water tank for cleaning hands and face, no physical contact with devotees, avoiding touching of idols and holy books, use of face masks and hand sanitizer, keeping visitors’ register at the entry point and strictly banning persons with symptoms from entering the shrines. here are curbs on singing religious songs while a recorded version of it can be used. The Sabarimala pilgrimage too will be resumed with stringent curbs. A virtual queue system will be introduced and only 50 devotees will be allowed for darshan at one time. Briefing media Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the thermal scanner will be installed at Sannidhanam, Nilakkal and Pampa. Cinema screens will not be allowed to function. Restaurants also have to comply with guidelines issued by the government such as limiting the number of customers, encouraging prior booking and online cash transactions, Vijayan added. (courtesy to Dainik Bhaskar for the picture of Padmanabhan Temple).
