Amid a perpetual surge in COVID 19 cases in the state, the lockdown has been extended in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district. The extension now mandates the lockdown to go on till May 31 up to 6 AM. However, the government has said that the extension will come up with certain conditions.
The extension entails some new guidelines. As per them, all government and private construction activities will be allowed and they can be carried out in compliance with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) and labor safety measures. Standalone shops including those selling groceries, essentials, vegetables, and fruits can function till 5 pm.
"Shops located in established markets can operate, but with an odd-even system, under which they will be allowed to open on alternate days. Collectors and superintendents of police can decide modalities after consulting local traders' associations," an official said.
On Sundays, only petrol pumps, hospitals, medical establishments, medicine shops, PDS shops will be allowed to function. Home delivery of essential commodities will be permitted, he said.
Vegetable markets, wedding venues, cinema halls, malls, clubs, swimming pools, supermarkets, showrooms, gyms, religious places, coaching classes, schools, colleges, parks, liquor stores and roadside establishments will remain shut,
the official said.
Tourist spots will remain shut and public gatherings will be prohibited, he said, adding that exams may be permitted as per the state government orders and home delivery of liquor will be allowed for online orders.
These relaxations will be applicable for Raipur, Durg and Rajnandgaon districts, while other districts can choose to impose certain relaxations based on their local situations, he said.
"However, for state-wide uniformity, it is strongly advised that no district grants more relaxations than those mentioned above," he added.
Chhattisgarh government took this decision in the light of increasing Covid 19 cases in the state. Raipur is the state capital and hence, the extension was put in place across the district.
7,594 Covid-19 cases and 172 deaths were reported in the state on Friday taking the caseload to 8,99,925 and the death toll to 11,461. The number of recoveries rose to 7,72,500 after 872 people were discharged from hospitals while 9,572 others completed their home isolation during the day.
The number of active cases in the state stands at 1,15,964, an official said. On the upside, the positivity rate of the infection in the state has declined to 12% from 26.1% on 1 May.
(With PTI Inputs)
Also Read: Kerala lockdown extended till May 23 as Covid graph continues to rise
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