Representational Image. 
Key Highlights
- Restaurants, hotels, bars, liquor shops, hospitality sector establishments will also be permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity
- Religious activities at temples will be performed by the priests of the temples without the participation of the public / devotees
Puducherry: In wake of the alarming spike in Covid-19 cases, the administration of the Union Territory of Puducherry has extended the coronavirus-induced restrictions till January 31 (midnight) in order to contain the fresh outbreak due to the highly-contagious Omicron variant.
As per the new guidelines, malls and markets are allowed to operate at not more than 50 percent capacity.
Intra and inter-district public transport, cinemas, theatres, multiplexes, gyms, yoga training centres, salons, parlours, spas and auditoriums will also be able to operate at 50% seating capacity.
Restaurants, hotels, bars, liquor shops, hospitality sector establishments will also be permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity.
Religious activities at temples will be performed by the priests of the temples without the participation of the public / devotees.
All exhibitions shall be conducted with 50 percent of the capacity of the venue at a time.
The Union Territory has witnessed a sharp spike in the number of new infections, with 129 people testing positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. It had logged 73 new cases on Wednesday and 66 on Tuesday.
“The 129 new cases in the last 24 hours ending 10 am on Thursday pushed the overall tally to 1,29, 821,” the Director of Health and Family Welfare Services G Sriramulu said in an official release.
While Puducherry region (the capital of the Union Territory) reported 84 fresh cases, Karaikal logged 36, Mahe (8) and Yanam (1).
The test positivity rate shot up to 3.58 per cent, compared to 2.68 per cent on Wednesday, while the fatality and recovery rates were 1.45 per cent and 98.24 percent, respectively.
However, there were no fatalities in the last 24 hours and the overall death toll stayed at 1,881.
The number of active cases has increased to 399 with 72 patients being treated in hospitals, and 327 patients in home isolation.