BackCovid-19: Yogi issues fresh 'Unlock' guidelines; markets in UP to be shut during weekends
UP CM also directed for ramping up of Covid-19 testing to 50,000 tests every dayThe death toll due to Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday mounted to 934 after 21 more people succumbed to the disease, while 1,384 fresh infections pushed the tally to 36,476
PremiumNew Delhi: Amid coronavirus pandemic, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday issued fresh 'Unlock' guidelines for the state.
As part of the guidelines all markets will allowed to remain open from Monday to Friday and during the weekends they'll remain shut when sanitization process will be undertaken at these markets.
The decision comes after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting on Sunday with the officers of 'Covid-19 management team-11'.
While talking about the door-to-door survey being carried out in the state, the CM also directed for ramping up of Covid-19 testing to 50,000 tests every day.
Yogi also said people in Kanpur, Ballia, Kushinagar, Varanasi and Deoria must be extra cautious about the virus.
Adityanath also stressed on maintaining social distancing during construction activities. He said all industrial units should also be sanitised on Saturdays and Sundays.
Earlier on Sunday, a senior state official told PTI that the Uttar Pradesh government will implement lockdown on weekends to stop spread of Covid-19, said a senior state official on Sunday.
"The lockdown on weekends will be implemented from the coming Saturday and Sunday especially in the crowded areas. The markets and offices will remain closed on these days. However, the banks will remain open," Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI.
"This is being done basically to stop the spread of infection through unwanted physical movement. Economic activities will, however, not suffer," he added.
The lockdown will remain effective in both urban and rural areas of the state, the official said.
"It (lockdown) will be in place for the month of July at least," Awasthi said.
Currently, there's an ongoing 55-hour lockdown in the state, which started from 10 pm 10 July, which would continue till 13 July 5 am.
Shops and business establishments, other than those dealing in essential services, remained closed in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Only vehicles carrying essential goods were seen plying as roads wore a deserted look, as tempos, taxis and government buses did not operate.
Policemen were posted at all prominent crossings of state capital Lucknow and other cities.
Markets in prominent areas of Lucknow such as Hazratganj, Aminabad, Chowk, Gomtinagar, Indiranagar, Latouche Road, Alambagh, Hewett Road, Aliganj and Gudumba remained shut.
The shops selling essential items were open. In Kanpur, Naveen Market, Somdutt Plaza, Civil Lines, Meston Road, Panki, Chamanganj, Kidwainagar and other areas remained closed.
In Allahabad, the main markets in the Civil Lines, Mutthiganj, Lukerganj, Badshahi Mandi, Ashoknagar and Nawab Yusuf Ali Road were closed.
"Most shops in the Civil Lines area (Allahabad) remained closed, and will open on Monday," said Abhilash Basak, who runs a tour and travel agency.
The death toll due to Covid-19 in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday mounted to 934 after 21 more people succumbed to the disease, while 1,384 fresh infections pushed the tally to 36,476, health officials said.
Additional Chief Secretary Medical and Health Amit Mohan Prasad said 23,334 of the total infected have been discharged. The state now has 12,208 active Covid-19 cases, he said.
On Saturday, 39,623 samples were taken for testing, Prasad said during a daily media briefing on Covid-19.
"We are now conducting 40,000 tests on a daily basis. In March, the daily testing capacity was 60 and now it has increased by 650 times," he said.
A number of new laboratories have been set up and TrueNAT machines have reached every district. "Antigen tests are also being conducted. Till now, as many as 11,56,089 tests have been conducted," Prasad said.
With inputs from PTI
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