MoHFW issues SOPs for opening religious places, restros, malls
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 4
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued SOPs for opening religious places, hotels/restaurants/hospitality services and shopping malls, on Thursday evening.
The MHA has already given its node to open these places from June 8.
Other than standard SOPs, the hotels and restaurants owners have been directed to adjust seating arrangement (restaurant) maintaining adequate social distancing. Other include, disposable menus, disposable paper napkins instead of cloth napkins, buffet service should also follow social distancing norms among guests. The SOPs further state: “Room service or takeaways to be encouraged, instead of dine-in. Food delivery personnel should leave the packet at guest or customer’s door and not handed directly to the receiver. For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which inter alia emphasises that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30 Degree Celsius, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%. Posters/standees/AV media on preventive measures about COVID-19 to be displayed prominently, adoption of contactless processes (QR code, online forms, digital payments).”
Not more than 50% crowd in food courts at shopping malls
Besides publicising preventive measures about COVID-19, the food courts and restaurants should not have more than 50% of seating capacity. The mall owners should also focus on providing adequate manpower for ensuring social distancing norms. Also, there should be proper crowd management in the parking lots and outside the premises – duly following social distancing norms shall be ensured. “The shops, stalls, cafeteria and others outside and within the premises should follow social distancing norms at all times. Number of customers inside the shop to be kept at a minimum, seating arrangement, if any, to be as per adequate social distancing, number of people in the elevators shall be restricted (use of escalators with one person on alternate steps may be encouraged), contactless mode of ordering,” stated the SOPs.
Mandatory screening at religious places
Like others, the religious places will now also have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitizer dispenser) and thermal screening provisions, instructed the SOPs. Other included, shoes / footwear to be preferably taken off inside own vehicle, common prayer mats to be avoided and floors should particularly be cleaned multiple times in the premises.
Prohibited
• Touching of statues/idols / holy books
• No physical offerings like prasad/distribution or sprinkling of holy water inside the religious places
• Gaming arcades/children play areas will remain closed
• Large gatherings/congregations continue to remain prohibited
• Cinema halls inside shopping malls shall remain closed.
