With the COVID-19 situation improving, the Uttar Pradesh government decided on Wednesday to continue with the weekly closure of shops and business establishments only on Sundays from August 14. An order issued by Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the coronavirus curfew will now be in place only on Sundays from August 14 and activities will be allowed between 6 am to 10 pm while adhering to the Covid protocols.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to consider a partial relaxation in the two-day weekly closure of shops and business establishments, and asked the home department to present detailed guidelines in this regard. The chief minister, however, stressed that the Covid protocols should be followed everywhere and there should not be any unnecessary congregation of people anywhere, one of the officials said.
Underlining the importance of a continued police patrolling, Adityanath asked the officials to present appropriate guidelines regarding the new system. In July, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued guidelines, according to which markets, shops and business establishments were allowed to function from 6 am to 10 pm from Monday to Friday, while Saturday and Sunday were the weekly closure days.
An official spokesperson said there has been a marked improvement in the Covid situation in the state, adding that there is not a single coronavirus patient in Aligarh, Amethi, Chitrakoot, Etah, Firozabad, Gonda, Hathras, Kasganj, Pilibhit, Pratapgarh, Shamli and Sonbhadra districts. The recovery rate stands at 98.6 per cent.
Not even a single fresh case of the infection was reported in 59 of the state's 75 districts on Tuesday, whereas in the remaining 16 districts, the number of fresh cases was less than 10, the spokesperson said in a statement. In view of physical education starting in secondary, higher, technical and vocational educational institutions after Independence Day, the chief minister asked for organising vaccination camps on the premises of universities, schools and colleges for students above 18 years of age.
In the schools of the Basic Education Council, the presence of teachers and other staff is increasing, so vaccination camps should be organised in these schools in accordance with the requirements, the spokesperson said. Adityanath told the officials that according to the recommendations of a state-level advisory committee of health experts, physical education should be started with a 50-per cent capacity in the secondary, higher, technical and vocational educational institutions after August 15. The classes should be run in two shifts and full care should be taken to ensure adherence to the Covid protocols, he said.
The chief minister also said in the schools of the Basic Education Council, the process of new admissions should be started for classes 6 to 8. Assessing the situation, teaching-learning can be started in these schools from September 1, he added.
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