Maharashtra govt allows water sports, amusement parks outside containment zones to resume operations

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has allowed water sports as well as activities like boating and entertainment/amusement parks to resume as part of the phase-wise easing of lockdown restrictions in the state. A government circular, dated 21 December, said all norms of social distancing and precautions to check the spread of COVID-19 will have to be followed during these activities. It said water sports and other activities like boating will be allowed outside the COVID-19 containment zones. “Entertainment/amusement parks including indoor entertainment activities, tourist places will be allowed to function provided the same are outside containment zones,” the circular further said. The standard operating procedures for these activities will be issued by the departments concerned, it added. Notably, amid growing concerns over a new COVID-19 variant detected in the UK, the Maharashtra government has declared night curfew from 11 pm to 6 pm in municipal corporation areas from 22 December to 5 January as a precautionary step. On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 3,106 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the tally in the state to 19,02,458. The state so far accounts for 48,876 deaths due to the disease, as per official figures.