PANJIM: As the third wave of pandemic flattens, the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Management has recommended that cinema halls, gyms, casinos and other indoor commercial business including restaurants can be allowed to operate at full capacity following appropriate behaviour.
The expert committee that met on Monday also recommended that educational institutions can also function in full capacity.
Speaking to media persons post meeting, expert committee member Dr Shekhar Salkar said that considering the current pandemic situation, wherein the third wave is under complete control, the committee is of the opinion that the norms should be eased.
He said that cinema theaters, gymnasiums, restaurants, hotels, casinos, spas and all other indoor commercial business can start operation to its full capacity after following COVID-19 appropriate behaviour like wearing of mask, social distancing, sanitisation of premise, etc.
“Both vaccinations for staffers and visitors should be made mandatory,” Salkar said adding that educational institutions can also function as normal.
The easing of norms have been recommended nearly two months after they were implemented due to the third wave of the pandemic that had hit the State in the last week of December, 2021.
As per the existing State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) order, which was issued on January 4 and later on February 15, all commercial establishments have to function with 50 per cent of its capacity.
Salkar said that these recommendations have been made to the task force, who will suggest to the government for implementation.
The educational institutions in the State have
re-opened for physical classes from Class I to XII from February 21 onwards.
The daily COVID-19 positivity rate in the State has dropped below two per cent.
Speaking further, Salkar said that no data was maintained to ascertain whether the deaths, caused in the third wave, were due to omicron or delta variants. “The health authorities should have done the test,” he said.
The doctor also informed that genome sequencing machine, which was brought earlier this month, is not put to use so far as staff is yet to be trained. “It will take another 15 days to start the machine,” he said.
