Mumbai: Maharashtra will not allow gatherings of five or more from 9 pm to 6 am, the state government declared on Friday, as COVID-19 cases saw the steepest rise in close to two months amid concerns of the spread of the Omicron variant.
The new guidelines, which came into effect from midnight — barely seven days ahead New Year’s Eve — also put a curb on attendance at indoor weddings. The indoor weddings were restricted to 100 people and not more than 250 people or 25 per cent whichever is less in outdoor weddings.
According to the new guidelines, restrictions have been ordered in indoor venues like gyms, spas, hotels, theatres and cinema halls. They will be allowed to run at 50 per cent capacity while sports activities have been allowed with 25 per cent occupancy.
The Maharashtra government declared the restrictions after Mumbai reported 683 new COVID-19 cases, the highest since October 6. Maharashtra saw 1,410 new cases – the sharpest rise since October 27
Maharashtra’s Omicron tally surged to 108 on Friday with 20 new cases, officials said. A total of 54 of 108 patients have been already discharged from hospitals after recovery.
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