As part of the unlocking of Covid 19-triggered lockdown, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday announced its decision to allow re-opening of cinema halls, drama theatres, multiplexes, swimming pools, indoor sports centres and yoga institutes to reopen outside containment zones from Thursday.
However, despite demands from the Opposition BJP and other organisations for the re-opening of temples and places of worship, the State Government made no announcements to this effect in its notification. In its notification, the Maharashtra Government said that the cinema halls, multiplexes and drama theatres would be allowed to operate with 50 per cent of seating capacity and no eatables will be allowed inside.
The Maharashtra Government, which has extended the lockdown till November 30, announced that all indoor sports like badminton, tennis, squash and indoor shooting ranges will also be allowed to operate from Thursday.
The State Government also announced that Yoga Institutes outside the containment zones would be allowed to function from November 5. “Swimming pools being used for training of State, National and International level sportspersons, outside the containment zones, will be allowed to operate with effect from November 5. The SOPs for the same will be issued by the Sports and Youth Affairs Department. The Sports and Youth Affairs Department will take into consideration the SOPs issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India,” the notification stated. “Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes and drama theatres will be allowed to open with 50 per cent of their seating capacity in areas outside the Containment Zones only with effect from November 5. No eatables will be allowed inside the cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes and drama theatres,” the notification added.