Haryana extends lockdown till June 7, malls allowed to open
Cinema halls, restaurants and bars located inside the malls will remain closed
CHANDIGARH: Haryana government on Sunday extended the lockdown-termed as Mahamari AlertSurakshit Haryana-- till the morning of June 7, allowing the reopening of shopping malls with curbs on gathering and permitting shops to open from 9am to 3pm from Monday.
CHANDIGARH: Haryana government on Sunday extended the lockdown--termed as Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana-- till the morning of June 7, allowing the reopening of shopping malls with curbs on gathering and permitting shops to open from 9am to 3pm from Monday.
During the current lockdown that was to end at 5am on May 31, the Bharatiya Janata PartyJannayak Janta Party coalition government had not allowed shopping malls to open while shops were running their businesses from 7am to 12noon by following the odd and even formula (shops with even numbers opening on even dates and shops with odd numbers on odd dates).
As per the latest lockdown order issued by chief secretary Vijai Vardhan, the state will be under curfew from 10pm to 5am.
Though malls will be allowed to open from 10am to 6pm, these will have to regulate the entry of public. Cinema halls, restaurants and bars located inside the malls will, however, remain closed.
“Hotels are allowed to open with the condition that no banquets/conferences will be permitted. Restaurants and bars in hotels will also remain closed. Room occupancy will be allowed,” the chief secretary said in his two-page order about extending the lockdown.
Earlier, addressing a digital press conference here, chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar said shopping malls will have to follow the prescribed visitor and time limitations. The number of people inside the malls at a given time will be fixed on the basis of one person per 25 square feet area. Hence, the number of people getting entry in a mall will depend on the built-up area of the shopping complex.
The CM said mall owners have to develop a mobile application to check the entry and exit of people. They will have to formulate regulations for crowd control and get it approved from the deputy commissioners concerned, said Khattar.
The chief minister said in view of the requests made by shopkeepers, vendors and businessmen, from Monday onwards shops can be opened from 9am to 3pm on odd-even basis.
Government offices will continue to function with 50% staff strength. This is the fourth extension of the week-long lockdown which was first imposed in Haryana from May 3 morning in the face of rising Covid-19 infections in the state.
Educational institutions, such as all colleges, coaching institutions, ITIs, libraries and training institutes (whether government or private), will remain closed till June 15. Anganwadi centres and creches will remain closed up to June 30. Industries will continue its operations following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour.
Govt adopts child who lost adoptive parents
Moved by the story of a 16-yearold child with special needs, who lost his adoptive parents to Covid-19, chief minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday announced that the Haryana government will adopt him.
The child, who suffers from mental disabilities as well as visual and speech impairment, was orphaned in childhood and adopted by a couple from Faridabad.
However, Covid-19 snatched away his adoptive parents, leaving him all alone once again. While his adopted father succumbed to the virus on May 14, his adoptive mother lost her battle on May 21.