Kohima, July 10 (EMN): Following the decision of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on Covid-19 to extend the lockdown measures from July 11 to the 17th with "Unlock 2", the district administration of Kohima has issued further relaxation to restrictions in the district.
Deputy Commissioner of Kohima, Gregory Thejawhelie informed that the practice of "no mask-no movement" and "no mask-no entry" would continue to be strictly enforced in all public places by the Kohima district task force (DTF) on Covid-19 and law enforcing agencies.
Shops and business establishments dealing with all kinds of goods, items and articles, including those dealing with essential goods and commodities such as vegetables, fish, meat vendors, milk booths, bakeries and local grocery stores would be permitted to open from 6 am to 4 pm only on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
It said that respective shop and business establishments should ensure that there is no overcrowding in the shops while cashless modes of payment should be encouraged as far as possible.
For all shopping complexes and market places in and around the municipal area, where more than one shop is located in the same building or compound, the owners and management should work out a strategy to ensure that only 50% of the shops are open on permitted days of opening and that no two shops which are adjacent to each other are open on the same day.
Necessary arrangement and monitoring will be worked out by the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) in consultation with Kohima Commerce of Chamber and Industries (KCCI), it said.
Restaurants and eateries will be allowed take-away and food delivery services on all days. However, a proper queue system should be maintained for all customers to ensure physical distance in addition to mandatory wearing of masks and practicing hand hygiene.
Delivery of LPGs and e-commerce service operators should be allowed to operate on all days while delivery personnel of all categories are advised to display vaccination status in the delivery vehicle.
Contactless delivery should be ensured at all times along with Covid-appropriate behaviour of mandatory wearing of mask and gloves, maintaining hand hygiene and physical distancing. Cashless modes of payment should be encouraged as far as possible.
Every shop and business establishment, besides keeping hand sanitisers for use by the visitors and taking measures for ensuring Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times, should also prominently display the status of vaccination of all the shopkeepers and staff present in the shop or business establishment.
Barber shops, beauty parlours, spas, salons etc., where close physical interaction cannot be avoided, should be permitted to open after sending application for the same to the DTF indicating status of vaccination of the staff and strategies to be adopted to ensure minimal contact with customers.
Only after due approval of DTF, it said that they would be permitted to open while the permit of the DTF and status of vaccination should be prominently displayed at the entrance of all barber shops, beauty parlours, spas, and salons.
All the government offices in the district may open with 50% attendance of staff on any day and subject to adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour at all times. The 50% staff not attending on any day will work from home and will be available on phone or mail for dealing with any urgent office work.
The private offices in the district may also function with up to 50% attendance and subject to adherence of Covid-appropriate behaviour.
According to the order, religious places of worship were allowed to open subject to an attendance of not more than 50 persons with strict adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour. In cases where the place of worship has a capacity where physical distance cannot be maintained by 50 persons, the number of attendees should be accordingly reduced.
Outdoor sports activities other than competitions will be permitted, subject to attendance of not more than 100 persons, and adherence of Covid-appropriate behaviour and all the applicable SOPs issued from time to time. In the case where such outdoor sports activities are played which does not allow for maintaining physical distance, the number of attendance should be reduced accordingly.
Wedding solemnisation, funerals and sports training will be allowed subject to an attendance of not more than 50 persons, and subject to adherence to Covid-appropriate behaviour and applicable SOPs issued from time to time.
Further, it added that wedding receptions would continue to remain suspended. In cases where the aforementioned events are held in enclosed space/ indoors, the numbers of attendees have to be reduced accordingly to ensure that physical distance is maintained at all times.
Light motor vehicles, including taxis will continue to ply within Kohima district on odd-even basis. However, only 50% occupancy will be allowed in all light motor vehicles to maintain physical distanc,e while local taxis will be allowed to ply with only two passengers and without any passenger in the front seat within the municipal area along with plastic barrier or sheet as per advisory.
However, local taxis are not authorised to charge fares higher than those fixed by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) while vaccination status of local taxi drivers should also be prominently displayed in the windshield of the taxi.
Intra-district taxi service outside the jurisdiction of the municipal area should remain suspended.
Bus service, inter-district taxi service, two- wheeler taxi service and pillion riding will remain suspended in Kohima district.
Inter-district movement of people is allowed subject to the person (s) being asymptomatic and having completed their Covid vaccination (both doses taken) and subject to adherence of Covid-appropriate behaviours.
All movement of persons and vehicles, except for exempted categories and medical emergencies will remain restricted from 7 pm to 4 am.
All applications may be sent to warroomkohima@gmailcom while helpline numbers 6033833879 or 9362705742 may also be contacted for any assistance.
All other activities which are otherwise not permitted would continue to be strictly restricted.
The deputy commissioner warned that any action(s) in contravention with the above stated regulation shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.