by Pankaj Yadav
NEW DELHI, June 8 (NNN-XINHUA) – People thronged into places of worship, like temples, mosques, churches, and gurudwaras (for Sikh community) in India, today, as religious places reopened across many states, after 76 days of lock-down due to COVID-19.
The reopening of religious places was permitted by fresh guidelines issued by the federal government on June 4, which stated, “Religious places or places of worship for public, in containment zones, shall remain closed. Only those outside containment zones will be open.”
As per the standard operating procedures (SOP’s), persons above 65 years of age, those with comorbidities, pregnant woman and children below the age of 10 years old have been advised to stay at home.
During early morning, people were seen entering religious places wearing masks, maintaining social distancing norms, and following necessary instructions, like not touching the idols, holy books, or other articles kept inside the sanctum.
Media reports showed people visiting the Eidgah Mosque in Lucknow, the capital city of northern state of Uttar Pradesh, and the Kalkaji Temple and the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara in Delhi.
One of the volunteers posted at the Kalkaji Temple told Xinhua over the phone that the SOP’s issued by the central government were being strictly followed inside the temple’s premises.
“Those entering the temple are passed through thermal screening. Proper arrangements have been made for soaps and hand-sanitisers at the entrance. Regular announcements are being made asking people to maintain social distancing inside the premises. There are strict measures in place to avoid crowding inside or outside the temple,” he added.
The SOP’s issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare last week stated that, before entering any religious place, people must wash their hands with soap for at least 40-60 seconds, even when hands are not visibly dirty.
The SOP’s also directed the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers for at least 20 seconds wherever feasible.
“Respiratory etiquettes to be strictly followed. This involves strict practice of covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing/sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow and disposing of used tissues properly,” the SOP’s stated.
According to media reports, some of the religious places decided to organise prayers in shifts and even start a token system, to specify time slots to devotees for visits in a bid to maintain social distancing and avoid crowding.
The fifth phase of lock-down began on June 1, though with several relaxations for reopening of economic activities. The current phase is also dubbed as “Unlock 1.0” as the fresh guidelines allow reopening of several places like shopping malls, religious places, manufacturing activities, offices and other business establishments.
India’s federal health ministry, on Sunday morning said, the death toll had risen to 6,929 and the total cases reached 246,628.– NNN-XINHUA
