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With a significant drop in novel coronavirus positive cases, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to lift Covid curfew from June 1 from those districts which have shown improvement but the curfew will remain imposed in 20 big cities, including Lucknow, where the active cases are more than 600.
As per the fresh directive issued by Chief Secretary RK Tiwari here on Sunday, all shops, markets and super markets will open from 0700 hours to 1900 hours for five days, from Monday to Friday, in the districts where the number of active cases is less than 600. There will be a two-day weekly closure of the markets, on Saturday and Sunday, when sanitisation work will be carried out in the districts. However, in containment areas there will be no relaxation at all.
Besides, schools, colleges, coaching institutes, cinema halls, multiplexes, malls, clubs and swimming pools will remain closed in these districts.
The new guidelines will come into effect in 55 districts where the number of active cases is less than 600 while in 20 districts the Covid curfew will continue.
The districts where the Covid curfew will continue are: Meerut, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Jhansi, Prayagraj, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sonbhadra, Jaunpur ,Baghpat ,Moradabad, Ghazipur, Bijnor and Deoria.
The guideline says that whenever these districts will report less than 600 active cases, the district authorities can relax the norms as per the instructions. But in any district, where the curfew is now being relaxed, it will be re-imposed if more than 600 active cases are reported there. The government offices will continue to work with 50 per cent strength while private companies can function under Covid protocol and they have been asked to promote work from home.
The new guidelines have allowed opening of restaurants but only for home delivery. Dhabas and restaurants on the highways can open with Covid restrictions. Religious places can open but five people will be allowed inside at a time. The movement of UPSRTC buses has been allowed with the prohibition of carrying standing passengers. The Transport department has been asked to carry out regular sanitisation of the buses. Only two passengers will be allowed on three-wheelers and e-rickshaws while only four people can travel on a car. Two-wheelers have also been allowed with masks and helmets. The guidelines allows opening of egg, fish and meat shops only in a closed area with full cleanness, while construction work has been allowed with Covid protocols. The government has also fixed the limit of 25 guests in a marriage and 20 people in a funeral. The government has extended the Covid curfew for a day from May 31 till the morning of June 1 and thereafter the new relaxations will be implemented. The Covid curfew was clamped in UP from May 1 and it was extended every week.