DEHRADUN: With Unlock 5.0 guidelines released on late Thursday night in Uttarakhand, virtually everything ranging from cinema halls to swimming pools to entertainment parks, schools, colleges and social gatherings has been allowed with COVID-19 precautionary measures in place.
Safety norms like use of masks and sanitizers must be followed along with social distancing to fight the pandemic while the state opens up its economic activities.
The order dated October 1, 2020 stated, "Swimming pools being used for training of sports persons will be permitted to open with effect from 15 October, 2020, for which the SOPs issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports (MoYAS) shall be strictly adhered to.
Cinemas/ Theatres/ Multiplexes will be permitted to open with up to 50% of their seating capacity in areas outside the containment zones only with effect from 15 October, 2020, for which SOPs issued by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting shall be strictly adhered to.
Entertainment parks and similar places will be permitted to open under the same guidelines.
In an important decision, the state government has also decided that any district administration will not impose any local lockdown (District/ sub division/City level), outside the containment zones, without
consultation with the state government.
The guidelines mentioned that decision of re-opening of schools after October 15 should be conducted in a graded manner after consultation with the parents, guardians and schools/ institution managements, based on their assessment of the situation.
"Department of Education will prepare their own standard Operating Procedures regarding health and safety precautions for re-opening of schools/ institutions based on the SOPs issued by Department of School Education and Literacy (DOSEL), Ministry of Education. Government of India, keeping local requirements in view," the unlock guideline statement read.
The decision in respect of re-opening of coaching institutions (academic and professional) after October 15 2020 will be taken by the respective district magistrates in consultation with the respective coaching institution managements, based on their assessment of the situation, and subject to the following the norms of safety and social distancing.
Meanwhile, online/distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of coaching and shall be encouraged, said the guidelines.
For tourists, international and domestic no restrictions are in place including producing mandatory Covid 19 report.
However, they will have to register themselves mandatorily on smart city portal of the state government here.
Inter-district movement of the people within the hill state will also require registration of the portal.
Those inbound to Uttarakhand from other states for over 7-days, they will be placed in quarantine for 10 days.
All asymptomatic persons who will travel outside the state from Uttarakhand for a maximum duration of 5 days will be exempted from being quarantined.
However, in cases of outbound travel for more than 5-days, such persons will have to undergo home quarantine of 10.
However, if they have undergone RT-PCR/ TrueNAT/ CBNAAT/ Antigen test with negative report on returm or not earlier than 96 hours before the arrival to Uttarakhand border.