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UP govt allows markets to open on Saturdays; Sunday curbs to continue
LUCKNOW The UP government on Wednesday allowed markets to open on Saturdays after chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to consider a partial relaxation in weekend restrictions in wake of the Covid situation improving in the state, said home department officials
LUCKNOW The UP government on Wednesday allowed markets to open on Saturdays after chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to consider a partial relaxation in weekend restrictions in wake of the Covid situation improving in the state, said home department officials.
The curbs on Sunday will remain in force till further orders, they said.
The UP government had issued guidelines, according to which markets, shops and business establishments were allowed to function from 6am to 10pm from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday will continue to be a weekly closure day. Additional chief secretary,-home, Awanish K Awasthi issued an order in this regard on Wednesday, which is to be followed from August 14.
The CM asked the home department to present detailed guidelines in this regard. A senior home department official said detailed guidelines on the relaxation of weekend curbs had been prepared.
Earlier in the day at a high-level review meeting with senior officials, the CM emphasized that Covid protocols should be followed everywhere and there should not be any unnecessary congregation of people anywhere.
The CM asked officials to present appropriate guidelines regarding the new system while underlining the importance of continued police patrolling.
After the review meeting, an official spokesperson of the state government said there has been a marked improvement in the Covid situation in UP, adding that there is not a single Covid patient in Aligarh, Amethi, Chitrakoot, Etah, Firozabad, Gonda, Hathras, Kasganj, Pilibhit, Pratapgarh, Shamli and Sonbhadra districts. The recovery rate stands at 98.6%.
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 offline classes starting in secondary, higher, technical and vocational educational institutions after Independence Day, the chief minister asked officials to organise 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.
According to the recommendations of a state-level advisory committee of health experts, physical classes should be started with 50% capacity in 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 Covid protocols, said the CM.
The chief minister also said in schools of Basic Education Council, the process of new admissions should be started from classes 6 to 8. Assessing the situation, teaching-learning can be started in these schools from September 1, he added. Inputs from PTI
