Unlock 5 in Bihar: Shops to function daily from today; cinema halls reopen

The 'Unlock 5' guidelines in Bihar will be applicable from August 7 to August 25, the chief minister said earlier this week. The Unlock 4 guideline period ended yesterday on Friday.

In view of recent improvement in the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation, Bihar is set to ease the restriction further, starting today. The 'Unlock 5' will see the reopening of shopping malls, cinema halls, and other commercial establishments in a phased manner. Schools for classes 9 and 10 are reopening as of today, but physical classes for standards 1 to 8 will start from August 16, according to directions issued by the Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) government.

Workers cleaning the premises of P&M Mall in Patna ahead of its reopening. (Santosh Kumar / HT PHOTO)

The 'Unlock 5' guidelines in Bihar will be applicable from August 7 to August 25, the chief minister said earlier this week. The Unlock 4 guideline period ended yesterday on Friday.

All shops to resume daily operations

All shops and commercial establishments in Bihar will now open on a daily basis, although they have been allowed to operate only till 7pm. The operation of these establishments will also take into account the weekend closure, which still remains operational in Bihar. However, establishments in the state will only allow those employees who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. A list of staff members who have been vaccinated must also be sent to the local police station.

Moreover, public transport can now ply on the streets with the full 100 per cent capacity. This is expected to bring a lot of relief to daily commuters and people associated with the transportation industry since earlier, such travel was only allowed with 50 per cent capacity.

Classes for 9 and 10 begin from today

Schools for students of classes 9 and 10 will reopen from August 7 under the Unlock-5 guidelines. The classes for standards 1 to 8 will resume about a week later from 16th August onwards, in the next phase of unlocking.

The classes will reopen from today with 50 per cent of their strength on alternate days. Meanwhile, coaching institutes for students of Class 10 and upwards and for competitive examinations will also open from August 7 with 50 per cent attendance. These institutions will also have to ensure that all their staff has been vaccinated. Similarly, the Bihar education department will ensure that all schools are properly cleaned and sanitised before classes start for 1 to 8, according to an official order.

Shopping malls and cinema halls to reopen

Shopping malls and cinema halls will also reopen under the new 'Unlock 5' guidelines. These establishments can now function normally on all days till 7pm, but they too have to ensure that all their staff is vaccinated and provide a list of the staff to the local police station.

Notably, cinema halls and shopping malls had remained closed in Bihar till now under the existing 'Unlock 4' guidelines.