Lucknow, Aug 11: With an improvement in the corona situation, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to extend relaxation in the weekend closure of markets and now corona curfew will remain in place only on Sunday.
This means that all the business establishments would now remain open for business from Monday to Saturday.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said that markers will now open from Monday to Saturday from 6 am to 10 pm while people and shopkeepers are expected to follow the covid guidelines.
“The corona curfew will now be in place only on Sunday when all the markets across the state will remain closed,” he said here on Wednesday.
This order will come into force from August 14 onwards, thus markets will remain open this Saturday.
The government is also contemplating starting schools from classes VI to VIII from September 1 onwards as the CM has asked the Basic Education Council to start the new admission process from class VI to class VIII. “Assessing the situation, teaching can be started in these schools from September 1 too,” he said.
Previously, hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls in UP were allowed to open with 50 percent capacity from 6 am to 10 pm on all weekdays. Other stand-alone shops and market complexes were also allowed to be open for five days a week.
The new guidelines say that no more than 50 persons should be allowed at a time to gather in religious places, wedding ceremonies and other social gatherings.
On Wednesday, UP witnessed a sharp decline in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases as the state logged only 27 cases.
The test positivity rate (TPR) of the state is 0.01 percent, the lowest in the country.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during his regular Team 9 meeting had given a hint that in view of improvement in the corona situation a further relaxation could be given during two-day weekly closure. The Department of Home Department was asked to furnish fresh guidelines.
“Despite a relaxation, covid protocol should be followed. There should not be unnecessary crowding. Police patrolling to continue and people should be asked to follow the appropriate covid behavior,” the CM said.
Yogi said physical classes in secondary, higher, technical and vocational educational institutions will start after August 16.
“In view of this, vaccination camps should be organized in the university, colleges and schools premises for the vaccination of students above 18 years. Similar camps should also be held in the offices of the Basic Education Council”, he said.
According to the recommendations of the State Level Health Expert Advisory Committee, physical presence of students will be started with 50 percent capacity in secondary, higher, technical and vocational educational institutions after Independence Day.
