Unlock 1.0: Places of worship, hotels in Nagaland to remain shut

Kohima, June 07: Nagaland, which has witnessed a recent spurt in COVID-19 cases, has decided to keep places of worship and hotels in the Christian-majority state closed till further orders, a senior official said on Sunday.

The Centre has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for reopening of religious institutions, hotels and restaurants from Monday.

Lockdown measures issued by the chief secretary of Nagaland on May 4 will remain in place till further orders, Principal Secretary (Home) Abhijit Sinha told reporters here. "All places of worship shall be closed for public.Religious congregations are strictly prohibited," the notification issued by the chief secretary on May 4 said.

The notification was issued to extend lockdown in the state. As per the notification, all hospitality services, barring those dealing with police personnel, government officials, healthcare workers and stranded persons, shall remain closed.

Nagaland, which was coronavirus-free till the end of May, witnessed a sudden spurt in COVID-19 cases after its residents began to return from other parts of the country.

The state reported three cases on May 25 and by June 7, the number has gone up to 118, of which 110 are active cases and eight persons have recovered.