Haryana shuts cinema halls, multiplexes till January 12 in six more districts as COVID-19 cases rise

Chandigarh: Amid the rising COVID-19 cases in Haryana, authorities have ordered the closure of cinema halls, multiplexes and sports complexes in six more districts till January 12, according to an official order.

The six districts where the restrictions will be applicable are Karnal, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Rohtak and Jhajjar. The restrictions were imposed in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ambala, Panchkula and Sonipat from January 2 to 12.

According to the latest order issued by the Haryana State Disaster Management Authority on Wednesday, the restrictions will be applicable in all 11 districts till 5 am on January 12. Cinema halls, theatres and multiplexes shall remain closed, the order stated.

Malls and markets will be allowed to open till 6 pm. However, shops selling essential items like milk and medicine shops will be allowed to open at all times to enable them to serve the public at large, it said.

According to the restrictions imposed earlier in five districts, the closing time for malls and markets was 5 pm. All sports complexes, swimming pools and stadia shall remain closed except when being used for training of sportspersons for participation in national and international sports events, the order said.

All entertainment parks and B2B exhibitions are prohibited, it said. Government and private offices, except for emergency/essential services have been advised to function with 50 per cent staff attendance, it added.

The order stated that other restrictions released vide its order dated January 1 and applicable till January 12 shall continue as before.
Notably, Haryana has witnessed a big spike in Covid cases over the past week.

The state reported 2,176 Covid cases on Wednesday, up from 1,132 on Tuesday, according to official data. Of the 2,176 cases reported on Wednesday, 1,178 were from Gurgaon alone, the data stated.

Many other districts are also witnessing a surge in cases. To check the spread of the viral infection, the state government banned people eligible for vaccination but not fully vaccinated from entering shopping malls, cinema halls, restaurants and grain markets, among other crowded places, starting January 1.

A night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am is already in force in the state. 

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