Religious places in Rajasthan's rural areas to reopen from July 1

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Sunday allowed religious places in rural areas, where a limited number of devotees visit, to reopen from July 1. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said all precautionary measures, including physical distancing, will be mandatory at these places.

The state government had on May 31 said that it will not open religious places till June 30 despite the Centre's new guidelines which allowed places of worship to reopen under 'Unlock 1'.

As part of unlocking, a committee was constituted under the chairmanship of district collectors. Based on the situation, large religious sites in urban and rural areas will remain closed, the chief minister was quoted as saying in an official statement.

He said protection of life is paramount for the state government.

The chief minister said only those religious sites in rural areas have been given permission to reopen where 50 or less people visit per day on normal days. During this, social distancing, sanitisation and wearing masks etc and other standard operating procedures need to be ensured, he said.

Gehlot also directed officials to do away with the mandatory 14-day home quarantine for people coming from outside the state.

"If they have any symptoms, they should get medical attention without delay," he said.

As of Sunday, the state's COVID-19 tally reached 17,271 and the death toll mounted to 399, according to an official report.