With COVID-19 infections showing no signs of subsiding in the capital city, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday announced to allow the fully vaccinated people to gain entry into places of worship.
Since yesterday, the places of worship have reopened in the city. However, the Covid surge goes unabated in Bhubaneswar, State’s largest urban conglomerate. The city has so far reported 1,05,680 Covid-19 cases and 987 deaths- the highest in urban areas of the State. The city accounts for 3,408 active cases- implying the fact that the city is still in the midst of a pandemic health crisis.
“Considering the current pandemic situation and vaccination coverage, it is hereby decided that the persons who have been fully vaccinated will only be allowed inside any religious institution”, BMC in a notification issued on Tuesday stated.
The religious institution authorities shall ensure at their level that the guidelines have been adhered to during the functioning of the institutions.
A person producing the soft copy in a mobile phone will be enough for allowing him/ her inside the institutions, the notification said.
The BMC enforcement team will conduct frequent checks and any institution found violating these provisions will be viewed seriously and the concerned institution will not be allowed to function, the notification concluded.