After 10 months, places of worship in Mizoram will reopen with limited attendees from February.

It has also been decided that Schools for students of classes 10 and 12, who are facing board exams will reopen from January 22, and that the students will need to clear the Rapid Antigen Test before going to school. Hostels will also be operational for the students.

On Friday, a meeting was held by the government which was attended by concerned ministers, doctors, churches and civil society groups where it was decided that churches would be opened for worship on every Saturday noon for Sabbath followers and every Sunday noon for other denominations.

According to the existing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), only 200 attendees or 50 per cent of sitting capacity, whichever is less, will be allowed.

Until further notice schools will remain closed for students of other classes, informed State School Education Department Director James Lalrinchhana.

The board exams for classes 10 and 12 will start from April and results will be declared in June.

Swab sample testing and quarantine protocols for people who returned to the state from outside will also improve as discussed in the meeting.

The meeting decided to increase the number of attendees in funerals and weddings, further relax the timing of night curfew, and also decided to partly relax SOP for hotels, gymnasiums, shops and business establishments, traffic, and sporting facilities.

December 15, 2020 and January 14, 2021 around 260 Covid cases were reported.

Of the estimated 260 Covid-19 infected patients, 137 (51.31%) have travel history and 45 were security personnel.

The total Covid-19 cases now stand at 4,310, of which 96 are active, while 4,205 people have recovered from the virus.