Hyderabad: Due to the surge of Omicron variant, Telangana Government on Sunday banned rallies and public meetings in the State till January 2^nd. State Government imposed restrictions on public gatherings as per the directions of Telangana High Court.

However, the Government has not banned New Year celebrations. State Government issued a GO merely says other events involving congregation of people will be permitted subject to three conditions. The organizers have to ensure physical distancing at the venue should not allow any person without mask and should arrange IR thermometers/thermal scanners at the entry point to scan persons entering the venue.

The High Court on December 23^rd had directed the State Government to impose curbs during festivals and New Year celebrations in view of the Omicron strain of the Covid – 19. The court had asked the Government to issue orders within three days. The Court orders had come a day after Telangana reported a spike in Omicron cases. As many as 14 new Omicron cases were reported on December 22^nd pushing the state’s tally to 38.