Bhubaneswar: After months-long coronavirus curb, Pathani Samanta Planetarium in the capital city Bhubaneswar is set to reopen from February 2, 2021. Besides, APJ Kalam Planetarium in Burla and the Pathani Samanta Museum at Khandapada in Nayayagarh district, which were shut down in March last year after the outbreak of the pandemic, will also open doors for the public from February 2, the authorities announced.
The institutions will be opened with strict adherence to Covid-19 guidelines and the protocols in place. Further, screening of all visitors and proper sanitation on the premises will be ensured to curb the spread of the virus.
Standard Opening Procedure (SOP) has been issued for reopening of the institutions. A maximum of 50 visitors would be allowed into the planetariums in each show on all days except Mondays, sources said.
Wearing of face masks, use of sanitisers and maintaining social distancing has been made compulsory for all the visitors as well as the staff.
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The Pathani Samanta Planetarium is one of the famous tourist attraction in the state and welcomed hundreds of space science enthusiasts and stargazers daily during the pre-Covid era. The State's second planetarium, named after APJ Abdul Kalam, at Burla in Sambalpur was inaugurated in September 2017.
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