Maharashtra Lockdown News: Rules to Change From Sunday – Know What’s Allowed, What’s Not Allowed

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government has decided to reopen shopping malls and restaurants, spas and gyms till 10 pm from Sunday, August 15, at 50 per cent capacity.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has announced further relaxations to the lockdown restrictions imposed in the state during the second wave of COVID-19. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led government has decided to reopen shopping malls and restaurants, spas and gyms till 10 pm from Sunday, August 15, at 50 per cent capacity.

The decision to reopen gyms and spas was taken on the condition that the entire staff is fully vaccinated, Maharasthra Health Minister Rajesh Tope had announced. Additionally, the Maharashtra government has also allowed local trains to resume services for frontline workers, essential workers and fully vaccinated individuals.

Maharashtra Lockdown News: What’s allowed

1. Mumbai Local Train Services: Maharashtra government has finally decided to resume Mumbai local train services from August 15 at 50% capacity. Travel by local train is permitted for all frontline health workers, essential service workers, and individuals who have taken both doses of Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days before.
2. Restaurants are allowed to reopen with 50% seating capacity, provided all employees (managers, waiters, cook/chefs, cleaning staff, bartenders) are fully vaccinated and 14 days must have passed since 2nd dose of vaccine.
3. All shops have been allowed to open with 50% capacity. All employees need to have completed vaccination and 14 days must have elapsed since 2nd dose.
4. Shopping malls are allowed to remain open till 10 pm with fully vaccinated staff. Customers also need to carry Covid vaccination certificate at the entry point.
5. Gymnasiums, yoga centres, salons, beauty parlours and spas have been allowed to reopen with 50% capacity till 10.00 pm on all days.
6. Indoor sports activities like badminton, table tennis, Squash, parallel bar, Mallakhamb allowed with up to two sportspersons per sport, provided all sportspersons/Members including managers, cleaning staff, have valid final Covid vaccination certificate and 14 days have elapsed since the 2nd dose of vaccine.

Maharashtra Lockdown News: What’s NOT allowed

1. Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes to remain closed until further orders.
2. All places of worship will remain closed.
3. Travellers entering Maharashtra are allowed only if they are fully vaccinated. Negative RT-PCR test report, issued up to a maximum of 72 hours, is mandatory at the time of arrival.
4. A ban on large gatherings like birthday celebrations, political, social, religious, and cultural events, elections, campaigning, rallies, protest marches shall continue.
5. Apart from these restrictions, if the requirement of medical oxygen for Covid patients in the state exceeds 700 metric tons per day, the state government will impose a strict lockdown with immediate effect.