Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Sunday recorded a massive spike in COVID-19 cases. With 4,029 new cases, the active caseload jumped to 14,890 in the city. Besides, one death was recorded in the day, taking the death toll to 9,127.
Meanwhile, restrictions will be gradually brought in at places of worship and other sites, including liquor vends, that attract crowds in order to control the coronavirus pandemic, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday.
Restrictions imposed by the state government a day earlier were in the interest of people, he added.
"Curbs in crowded areas like liquor shops and places of worship will be imposed as well. However, even as cases are rising, hospital bed occupancy and oxygen demand are low. When these start rising, we will enforce stricter restrictions," he told reporters.
Besides, the Maharashtra government on Sunday revised its COVID-19 restrictions allowing beauty salons and gyms to function at 50 per cent capacity with the services being open to only fully vaccinated people.
The state government made a partial modification to its last order issued on January 8, which is scheduled to come into force from Monday. In its last order, the Maharashtra government had said that beauty salons and gyms in the state will remain completely shut.
However, in its latest order, the government said: "Beauty salons shall be grouped with hair cutting salons and shall be allowed to remain open with 50 per cent capacity subject to restrictions mentioned in the table for hair cutting salons." In the last order, the government had allowed hair cutting salons to operate at 50 per cent capacity adding that these salons will remain closed from 10 pm to 7 am every day.
The new order also states that in beauty salons, only those activities that do not require the removal of masks by anyone shall be allowed. "Only fully vaccinated persons shall be allowed to use these services. All the staff engaged in operation shall be fully vaccinated," it read.
"Gyms are allowed to remain open with 50 per cent capacity, subject to the use of masks while performing any activity. Only fully vaccinated persons shall be allowed to use these services. All the staff engaged in operation shall be fully vaccinated," the government has said.
(With ANI inputs)
