Uttarakhand: As Covid-19 cases increase, Dehradun orders traders to follow weekly shutdown schedule

With the rising number of Covid-19 cases being reported from Dehradun, the district administration has ordered traders from different markets to strictly follow the schedule weekly closure of markets.

Ashish Srivastava, the district magistrate of Dehradun, said the decision was taken after it was noticed that shops in many markets were not closed on the weekly closure days decided earlier.

“We have again decided one particular day for different markets to remain closed in the district to break the chain of the infection. In Dehradun, it is Sunday, for Mussoorie, it is Tuesday… and other days for places like Doiwala, Vikasnagar, Rishikesh. Only shops for essential services will remain open on the closure days in these areas, and markets and localities will be sanitised.”

Dehradun has been continuously reporting the maximum number of cases in Uttarakhand for months.

An order issued by the Dehradun district magistrate on Wednesday stated that essential services like shops selling fruits, vegetables and milk, petrol pumps, gas services and medicine shops will remain open. The order further mentioned that in the event of a violation of orders, officials have been directed to take action according to the provisions described in the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act.

Dehradun has so far reported 20,426 Covid-19 cases, the highest in Uttarakhand, followed by Haridwar (11,864), US Nagar (10,159) and Nainital (8,313).

Uttarakhand has so far reported over 72,000 Covid-19 cases, of which over 65,000 patients have recovered.