Haryana Shuts Cinema Halls In 5 Districts Till January 12 Amid COVID 19 Surge; Here’s The New Guidelines And SOPs

Over the past few weeks, India has witnessed a significant rise in the number of Covid 19 cases. And, the threat of the new Omicron variant has further worsened the situation. After Delhi, the Haryana government has reportedly issued a fresh set of guidelines under which the cinema halls and sports complexes have been shut down. Confirming the same, ANI tweeted, “#Omicron: Haryana Govt closes cinema halls, sports complexes, swimming pools, and entertainment parks in Gurugram, Faridabad & three other districts; govt & private offices to function with 50% staff attendance.”

According to an official order of the Haryana government shared on Twitter, the cinema halls, multiplexes, swimming pools and sports complexes will be closed in five cities from January 2 to 12, 2022. The restrictions will be imposed in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat districts. The guidelines also state that malls and markets will be allowed to stay open till 5 pm. Bars, restaurants, government and private offices can function with only 50 percent of the capacity. Besides these, the state government has also banned not fully vaccinated people from entering shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants, and grain markets, among other crowded places.

A few days ago, the Haryana government had imposed a statewide night curfew in the state from 11 pm to 5 am. As per the health bulletin, the state reported 26 cases of the Omicron variant on Friday, with the total number of such cases rising to 63.  552 fresh COVID-19 cases were reported on Saturday.

To note, the closure of theatres has led to the postponement of two big Bollywood films including, SS Rajamouli magnum opus RRR and Shahid Kapoor starrer Jersey. ALSO READ: Mrunal Thakur Tests Positive For COVID-19; Says, 'I Have Mild Symptoms, But I Am Feeling Ok And Have Isolated Myself'