Trader contracts virus, Amritsar’s new cloth market shuts again

The congested walled city, the oldest portion of the holy city and hub of wholesale clothing business, remained shut for nearly 50 days

Having faced losses already due to the lockdown, the cloth traders at the famous new market here have been asked to shut shops again after one of them tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday.

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The congested walled city, the oldest portion of the holy city and hub of wholesale clothing business, remained shut for nearly 50 days. The market saw a trickle of customers since recent relaxations. However, a covid case was reported in the market on Friday, prompting the authorities to close the market. “After a shopkeeper tested positive, the administration has asked all of the shopkeepers to take precautions. As many as 60 traders will have to shut their shops for some more days,” Amritsar Federation of Cloth Wholesalers’ chairman Jatinder Singh Bhatia said.

He said the infected trader had made a business trip to Kashmir, but it is yet to be ascertained from where he contracted the infection. “Ever since we opened our outlets, we are taking precautions and following the government guidelines,” he added.

Over 5,000 traders are into wholesale cloth business across the city.