UP to revoke relaxations in districts where active cases cross 500
LUCKNOW : On a day when the Centre warned the states and the Union Territories to not grow complacent over Covid protocols as many states and UTs have begun easing restrictions, the Uttar Pradesh government announced that partial corona curfew relaxations will be immediately withdrawn in any district where the number of active Covid-19 cases crosses 500.
Late last month, the state government had set the benchmark at 600 active cases for revoking relaxations in any district. “The benchmark has just turned stricter,” said a senior state government official.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath made the announcement while reviewing Covid-19 situation during a high-level meeting.
“Keep a close watch on Covid infection in all the districts. If any district has active cases over 500, then suspend the corona curfew relaxations there immediately,” the chief minister said to the officers concerned.
He also said the corona curfew relaxation hours would be increased from Monday across the state. The relaxation would be in force from 7am to 9pm (Monday to Friday). Earlier, it was allowed from 7am to 7pm.
Apart from shops and markets, malls, restaurants and parks would reopen with Covid protocols on Monday, he said.
Religious places can have a maximum of five people at a time. Weddings will have a maximum of 50 people. Stadiums, gyms, clubs, and educatance tion institutions (for academics) will continue to stay closed.
He reiterated that the night curfew will be from 9pm to 7am and weekend closure will be observed from Friday night (9pm) to Monday morning (7am).
Among the state’s 75 districts, Lucknow has the highest number of active cases (370) at present and it is just 130 short of the 500-mark. Active cases refer to the number of patients under treatment. Meerut is next with 195 active cases. The state government had begun easing the corona curfew from June 1 in the districts where active Covid-19 cases dropped below 600. Gradually, all the districts introduced relaxations as and when the cases dropped below the 600-mark.