Chandigarh may reopen bars, lift night curfew

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 29

The UT Administration may allow bars in restaurants, hotels and clubs to open and completely lift the night curfew in Unlock 4.0, which will start on September 1.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today issued the guidelines for Unlock 4.0 and gave certain relaxations outside the containment zones.

Wedding, funeral gathering size

The limit on gathering for marriage-related functions and funeral or last rites, which is 50 and 20, respectively, will continue to remain in force till September 20 after which the ceiling of 100 persons will be applicable.

Under the new guidelines, social/academic/sports/entertainment/cultural/religious/ political functions and other congregations with the maximum 100 persons will be permitted from September 21. However, such limited gatherings can be held with the mandatory wearing of face masks, social distancing and provisions for thermal scanning and hand wash or sanitiser.

The government has also decided that schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will continue to remain closed for students and regular class activity up to September 30.

However, students of Classes 9 to 12 may be permitted to visit their schools in areas outside the containment zones on voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers. This will be subject to a written consent of their parents/ guardians.

The UT may permit up to 50 per cent of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to the schools at a time for online teaching/tele-counselling and related work, revealed the guidelines.

The Department of Higher Education, in consultation with the MHA, will permit higher education institutions only for research scholars (PhD) and post-graduate students of technical and professional programmes requiring laboratory/experimental works.

• Adviser Manoj Parida said the UT would follow the Central Government orders on the Unlock 4.0 guidelines in letter and spirit. However, the final decision on the relaxations to be given in the new guidelines would be taken in a meeting on Monday, he added.

What will be permitted

• Social/academic/sports/entertainment/cultural/religious/political functions and other congregations with the maximum 100 persons from September 21
• Open-air theatres from September 21
• Students of Classes IX to XII may visit schools for taking guidance from their teachers

What continues to remain shut

• Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres and similar other places
• Schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions