COVID-19 unlock: Jharkhand to allow reopening of religious places, schools for classes 6 to 8

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government on Wednesday (September 15) decided to allow the reopening of religious places and schools for classes 6 to 8 across the state.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the Jharkhand State Disaster Management Authority chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

“The permission has been given for the entry of devotees at all religious places. The classes of 6 to 8 standard will also be opened,” the government said in a statement.

However, the government has made it mandatory for priests, pandas, imams, pastors to get at least the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

The government further said that a maximum of 100 persons will be able to enter in an hour through e-pass at religious places identified by the District Magistrate such as Baba Dham Temple in Deoghar. People will be permitted to gather at the religious places at 50 per cent capacity of the place.

However, entry of a person below 18 years of age will be prohibited. Social distancing will be mandatory and without the mask, people will not be allowed to enter.

Offline classes have already been permitted for all years of undergraduate and postgraduate education in the colleges.

The Jharkhand government had already allowed offline classes for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges. It had also allowed the opening of classes from 9 to 12 standard.

Now, offline classes will also be permitted in the schools for classes 6 to 8. Moreover, all sports activities have been allowed without spectators while bars and restaurants can open till 11 pm.

The government has also given permission for the construction of Durga Puja pandals with guidelines. There will be a ban on the entry of devotees in the pandal, on the gathering of more than 50 per cent of the capacity or more than 25 persons at a time in the pandal.

Cultural programs like Garba, Dandiya etc will be banned. Entry of persons below 18 years of age is not permitted. There will be no food stall or cart nearby. There will be no immersion procession. No person shall be without a mask in the pandal at any time, said the government.