Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government is going to re-open temples and other places of worship from Monday onwards. The Government said that listing Covid- 19 safety measures such as masks, sanitizers and temperature checks that they will have to follow.

The Chief Minister said he had held out on reopening religious places because of the risk to senior citizens who visit them. Medical experts believe elderly people (those above 60) are at greater risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus. As part of the Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs, the governing bodies of the religious places will be responsible for crowd management and people above 65, children below 10, and pregnant women have been advised to stay at home.

The Chief Minister and several other leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, have all stressed on the need to minimise contact and maximize social distancing during the festivals, to ensure the virus does not spread.