Bihar extends curbs as others ease restrictions

Bihar on Monday joined at least 15 states that have extended the lockdown by another week or 10 days with certain relaxations even as other states such as West Bengal and Kerala continued with a complete shutdown till June 15.

States including Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Telangana started the unlocking process from Monday. On Monday, Bihar extended the lockdown till June 8 factoring in a decline in intensity of the second wave of the pandemic that has killed thousands and infected hundreds of thousands of people in the state.

“In view of the corona outbreak, a decision has been taken to extend the lockdown by a week, till June 8. However, some extra concessions will be made for business activities,” chief minister Nitish Kumar tweeted.

Karnataka revenue minister R Ashoka said on Monday that the state will start unlocking in a phased manner with infections in Bengaluru expected to fall below 1,000 a day. Karnataka’s current restrictions are till June 7 and in a few days the state is expected to

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announce unlocking guidelines. The lockdown was imposed in the state on May 10.

“I have given my opinion to CM BS Yediyurappa about unlocking in a phased manner by opening one sector after another,” Ashoka told reporters.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said stricter curbs will be enforced in Mumbai if heavy traffic continues. “I myself cross-checked my speech made last night. I did not say that Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted,” Thackeray said.

The Maharashtra government on Sunday extended the lockdown curbs in the state till June 15 and said relaxations will be granted depending on the positivity rate and availability of oxygen beds. In municipal corporations or regions of districts with less than 10% positivity rate and where the availability of occupied oxygen beds will be less than 40%, all shops engaged in essential commodities and services that are currently open from 7am to 11am can remain open from 7am to 2pm, the government said

On Monday, shops and markets in J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and 61 of 75 districts in Uttar Pradesh opened for longer hours.