Coronavirus India Updates: India Allows Reopening Of Multiplexes, Theme Parks From Oct. 15

The Indian government has allowed reopening multiplexes, theme parks and swimming pools with limited capacities in its new guidelines.

All these relaxations will be applicable from Oct. 15 only outside containment zones, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

• Multiplexes will be allowed to reopen with 50% of their seating capacity.
• Business-to-business exhibitions will also be allowed subject to standard operating procedures.
• Swimming pools will be allowed to reopen for the training of sportspersons.
• Entertainment parks and other similar places will also be allowed to reopen.

Further detailed guidelines will be issued by respective ministries.

Update On Schools

The central government has also said that states and union territories can decide when they want to reopen schools, colleges and educational institutes after Oct. 15. However, attendance will not be compulsory and permitted only after the written consent of parents or guardians. Students will continue to have the option of online classes.

Update On Religious, Social Gatherings

The state governments have been given the flexibility to allow social gatherings--religious, political or cultural in nature--and other congregations above the limit of 100 persons outside containment zones.

Hotels, food courts, restaurants and bars in Maharashtra will be allowed to operate with customers up to 50% capacity from Oct. 5, the state government said in its new lockdown guidelines.

• The state government has extended the lockdown till the midnight of Oct. 31 and issued fresh guidelines.
• Railways will also increase the frequency of local trains to meet the higher demand.
• Dabbawalas in the Mumbai metropolitan region will also be allowed in local trains after procuring permits from the Mumbai police.

The results of India’s second nationwide serological survey, conducted between Aug. 17 and Sept. 22, showed that 1 in 15 people in the country had been exposed to Covid-19. The prevalence of infections nationwide rose to 6.6% from 0.73% in the first survey done in May, said Balram Bhargava, director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research. The highest rates were in densely packed urban slum areas.

Covid-19 infection cross the 62 lakh mark in India as masses continue to get infected, even if it’s at a relatively slower pace.

The country added over 80,000 new cases in 24 hours taking the total tally to over 62.2 lakh in Asia’s third-largest economy, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on Sept. 30.

A possible sign of the virus’ retreat, new cases have been falling in India since over a week now. After reaching nearly 98,000 cases on Sept. 17, they have fallen below the 90,000 mark for nine straight days now. Tuesday’s fresh cases figure is the lowest in 28 days.

Key Figures

• Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases: 62,25,763
• Active cases: 9,40,441
• Cured/discharged/migrated: 51,87,825
• Deaths: 97,497
• Number of fresh cases in last 24 hours: 80,472
• One-day recoveries: 86,428
• One-day deaths: 1179

Once again authorities reported more recoveries than new cases in a day, taking active cases to as low as 9.4 lakh -- the lowest in 20 days.

Global Update

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson apologized for wrongly explaining his own government’s coronavirus rules, while Germany is taking steps to rein in parties. New York City, America’s early epicenter, reported its highest test positivity rate in months.

Globally, total cases topped 33.4 million with over 1 million dead as of Wednesday morning.

Track the latest updates on the Covid-19 pandemic in India, here.