Uttarakhand Issues Fresh COVID-19 Curbs, Political Rallies Banned Till 16 Jan

Under the new guidelines, schools will be shut for students till Class 12 till 16 January.

In view of the rising COVID-19 cases and concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant in the state, the Uttarakhand government announced fresh COVID-19 curbs in the state on 7 January, 2022.

The guidelines will come into effect from 9 January onwards and some of them will stay in place until 16 January.

As per the new rules, schools will be shut for students up to class 12 until 16 January and classes will be conducted in the online mode. However, examinations held by state and central governments will still be held in person.

Parties will not be given any permission to conduct political rallies till 16 January in the poll-bound state, with the same rule applying to dharnas and protests.

The guidelines now make it mandatory for those not having taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to carry a negative result for the virus, issued within 72 hours of their arrival.

What About Public Facilities?

Uttarakhand announced that a night curfew would be implemented from 10 PM to 6 AM across the state, starting 9 January. However, fields and persons exempted from the night curfew will be required to strictly adhere to COVID-Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and safety protocols.

Markets and shops will be allowed to remain open from 6 AM to 10 PM across the state.

Gyms, restaurants, spas, salons, movie theatres and other such places will still be allowed to remain functional under the new guidelines, but can only operate at 50 percent capacity, provided they maintain the required safety protocol such as social distancing and frequent sanitisation.

All swimming pools and water parks will be shut till 16 January, as will all public events.

Weddings, both indoor and outdoor, and funerals will be allowed to be held at 50 percent capacity, and will require strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

While dining in at restaurants and hotels will still be allowed, the circular encourages citizens to order in or take food away.

The state will also bolster its vaccination efforts and aim to finish fully vaccinating its entire eligible population.

Lastly, the guidelines note that masking, sanitising and social distancing is mandatory and will be enforced in all public places, which will be frequently sanitised to prevent the spread of the new 'Variant of Concern'.