Lockdown status quo to continue in UP

Status quo continues in the state on lockdown relaxations. The state will continue to have the same lockdown conditions as the last order of the UP government a couple of days ago. The government is keeping a watch on the situation in the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government has not made any change in lockdown conditions in the state, chief secretary RK Tiwari said on Saturday evening.

“Status quo continues in the state on lockdown relaxations. The state will continue to have the same lockdown conditions as the last order of the UP government a couple of days ago. The government is keeping a watch on the situation in the state,” said Tiwari.

With this statement, Tiwari put to rest speculation that surfaced on Saturday that all standalone shops in urban localities (such as barbers, salons, or stationery stores) would open.

According to the existing order of the state government, only shops dealing in essential items such as groceries, milk, vegetables, fruits and pharmacies would open. No shop can be operational in hot spots.

By Saturday evening, the district magistrates of most districts with a high Covid-19 case count, such as Lucknow, Noida, Ghaziabad, Agra and Varanasi, announced that their districts “will have status quo on lockdown”.

The last order on the lockdown came on Sunday when chief minister Yogi Adityanath asked the district magistrates of high Covid-19 incidence districts not to ease lockdown relaxations.