Chennai: Religious places remain shut as Tamil Nadu fails to issue SOP for reopening

While most states have allowed re-opening of religious places, Chennai has decided to keep its religious places shut on Monday. The city's administration has said that as the state government has not issued any guidelines ensuring the safe re-opening of religious places. Chennai, which tops the state's Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally has reported 1155 new cases on Sunday alone.\

Centre issues SOP for religious places ahead of June 8 opening: Masks mandatory, no prasad

Chennai's religious places remain shut

Religious places continue to remain shut in J-K

Centre's SOP for religious places

On Thursday, the  Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) issued SOP fron re-opening of religious places of worship. While the Ministry has advised persons over 65 years, pregnant women, and children under 10 to stay at home, it has ordered religious places in containment zones were not allowed to open and must remain shut. States like Odisha, Maharashtra, Jammu Kashmir have not allowed re-opening of religious places till June 30, fearing a rise in the number of Coronavirus cases.

Unlock 1: Odisha Govt announces religious places, malls to remain shut till June 30

SOP for religious places

• Entrance must have mandatory hand hygiene (sanitizer dispenser) and thermal screening provisions.
• Only asymptomatic persons must be allowed and entry must be staggered
• Shoes / footwear to be preferably taken off inside own vehicle and must be kept in separate slots for each individual/family by the persons themselves.
• Any shops, stalls, cafeteria etc., outside and within the premises shall follow social distancing norms
• For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which inter alia emphasises that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30 deg Celsius.
• Touching of statues/idols / holy books etc. not to be allowed.
• Large gatherings/congregation continue to remain prohibited. 
• Recorded devotional music/songs may be played and choir or singing groups should not be allowed.
• Common prayer mats should be avoided and devotees should bring their own prayer mat, which may take back with them.
• No physical offerings like Prasad/distribution or sprinkling of holy water, etc.to be allowed inside
• Community kitchens should follow physical distancing norms while preparing and distributing food.
• Frequent cleaning and disinfection of the religious places must be down, with  particular focus on
• lavatories, hand and foot-washing stations/areas.

Unlock 1: Devotees offer prayers at temples and mosques as religious places reopen

Chennai's micro-containment 

Reports state that the state government has started an intensive containment and control strategy at the micro-level in six high-risk zones of Chennai. Moreover, private hospitals in Chennai had 1,048 beds free as of Sunday, as per the dashboard of the government. Except for Tirupur, Sivagangai, Perambalur, Nilgiris, Namakkal, Nagapattinam, Karur, Kanniyakumari and Erode, all 28 districts in the state have reported a rise in Coronavirus cases.