Key Points:
- On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Government announced the allowance of reopening the amusement/entertainment parks, water sports and tourist places ‘Outside the Containment Zones’ as a part of the state’s unlock measures.
- The Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar issued the order and said that water sports and other activities like Naukavihar (Boating) will only be allowed outside containment zones, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) given by the Central Government will be taken into consideration.
- The government has asked park owners to properly train staff to conduct cleaning and disinfection at frequent intervals.
Maharashtra has been the most affected state in the country due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and has recently been phase-wise opened. On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Government announced the allowance of reopening the amusement/entertainment parks, water sports and tourist places ‘Outside the Containment Zones’ as a part of the state’s unlock measures.
A circular dated December 21 mentioned that ‘All Norms of Social Distancing and Precautions to not let the Coronavirus spread’ have been taken into consideration during these activities. The Chief Secretary Sanjay Kumar issued the order and said that water sports and other activities like Naukavihar (Boating) will only be allowed outside containment zones, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) given by the Central Government will be taken into consideration. Similarly, entertainment/amusement parks, including indoor gaming places, have been given the green signal.
Activities Permitted:
- The Maharashtra government has waived a green flag for water sports plus boating as a part of Mission ‘Begin Again’ in a phase-wise easing of the put-up restrictions.
- “The SOP for the same will be issued by Home (Ports) Department,” the circular read.
- Entertainment/amusement parks, including indoor entertainment activities, outside containment zones, will be allowed to reopen.
- The Standard Operating Procedure will be issued by the State Tourism Department.
Basic SOPs:
- The government has asked park owners to properly train staff to conduct cleaning and disinfection at frequent intervals.
- All staff members must self-monitor their health and report any illness at the earliest to COVID-19 Helpline for medical support.
- It adds that timings of staff canteen, lockers, changing rooms etc. to be strategically designed to avoid crowding.
- Park owners must ensure staggered timing and regulation of physical numbers on these rides so that physical distancing is maintained.
- The government has asked park owners to issue advisories whether senior citizens, kids below ten years, pregnant women and co-morbid people will be allowed or if their activities will be restricted.
Recently, due to the threat of a New Variant of the Covid-19 virus found in United Kingdom, the Maharashtra Government has declared that the foreign travelers will have to compulsorily go in a 14-day Institutional Quarantine for 14 days. It had also announced that the state will be implied with a Night Curfew that will function between 11 PM to 6 AM from December 22 to January 5 as a step towards curbing the coronavirus.
