COVID-19: Rajasthan orders closure of schools in urban areas, Sunday curfew

PTI, Jan 9, 2022, 8:25 PM IST

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Sunday announced the closure of schools in urban areas, Sunday curfews, time limits on markets, and a cap on occupancy at restaurants and movie theatres in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The fresh guidelines are aimed at tightening restrictions on public movement and activities as cases of the coronavirus and its new Omicron variant are spreading rapidly in the state.

According to the guidelines issued by the state home department, schools up to Class 12 in the municipal corporation and municipality areas will be closed till January 30. Online classes will continue as before, it stated.

Earlier, the government had announced the closure of schools for classes 1 to 8 till January 17 in Jaipur and Jodhpur municipal corporation areas.

The guidelines said the schools will be closed from Monday, but the rest of the restrictions will be effective from January 11.

The authorities have also decided to impose a curfew from 11 pm on Saturdays till 5 am on Mondays to stop the spread of the disease.

During this curfew period, all markets, workplaces, and commercial complexes will remain closed, the guidelines stated.

However, factories with continuous production cycles and night shifts, IT and e-commerce, chemist shops, marriage-related services, emergency services, bus stands and railway stations, and health services are exempted.

Shops, malls, and other commercial establishments will be allowed to be open till 8 pm, while restaurants and clubs can operate till 10 pm with 50 percent of seating capacity, as per the guidelines.

Cinema halls, multiplexes, amusement parks, banquet halls, etc will have to operate with 50 percent occupancy and close by 8 pm.

A maximum of 100 people are permitted at marriage functions, but this cap will be at 50 for those in the municipal corporation and municipality areas till January 30.

All religious places will remain open till 8 pm, but offerings like garlands, prasad, chadar, and other things are banned.

The night curfew will continue to remain in force from 11 pm to 5 am daily, the guidelines stated.