Kerala COVID-19 unlock: Hotels, bars allowed to reopen with 50% capacity, check guidelines here

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said as the rate of COVID-19 infection has come down, more relaxations are being allowed.

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New Delhi: The Kerala government on Saturday (September 25) issued new coronavirus guidelines allowing hotels, restaurants and bars to reopen with certain riders.

Here are the SOPs announced by the Kerala government:

1. The restriction on movement of people who have not taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been withdrawn. 

2. In-house dining for hotels, restaurants and bars has been allowed with 50% seating capacity. Staff should be fully vaccinated. Air conditioning in hotels will not be allowed. 

3. Indoor stadiums and swimming pools can be opened for persons who are vaccinated with both doses of COVID vaccine. Those who are below 18 years of age are not applicable for entry into the establishments. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said as the rate of infection has come down, more relaxations are being allowed. 

Air-conditioning in hotels will not be allowed. Indoor stadiums and swimming pools can be opened for persons who are vaccinated with both doses of COVID vaccine. Those who are below 18 years of age are not applicable for entry into the establishments: Kerala govt — ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2021

"It's been now 21 months since we have been going through lockdown norms. But with 91 per cent of the above aged 18 years having taken the first dose and over 39 per cent taken the second dose, only 22 lakh are left now who have not had taken the vaccine and this includes those who turned Covid positive and for such people they will have to wait for three months. We have now decided to open educational institutions also and it will function through strict guidelines," IANS quoted the CM as saying. 

Commenting on the reopening of cinema halls, the CM said a decision will be taken once seating issues are resolved. 

Kerala logged 16,671 new COVID-19 cases and 120 fatalities, which pushed the caseload to 46,13,964 and the death toll to 24,248, as per official data on Saturday. "Currently, there are 1,65,154 active COVID-19 cases in the state of which only 12.2 per cent are admitted to the hospitals," Vijayan told reporters. 

(With agency inputs)