Chandigarh: With the coronavirus cases going down drastically, the Punjab government on Tuesday relaxed lockdown guidelines in the state and allowed the economic activities to begin in the state from Wednesday June 16, 2021. Issuing an order on unlock guidelines, the Punjab government said that the restaurants, dhabas, cinemas and gyms can open at 50% capacity. However, these openings are subject to all their employees have received at least one dose of vaccination. The state government further added that the bars, clubs and ahatas will remain stay shut until further orders.

The in the fresh order, the state government, however, stated that the night curfew will continue to remain in place daily in the state from 8 PM to 5 AM, and a weekend curfew from 8 PM Saturday to 5 AM on Monday as the state moves towards partial reopening.

List of unlock guidelines:

  1. The state government also increased the number in gatherings of people, including for weddings and cremations, to 50 persons.
  2. The new guidelines will remain in effect till June 25 and after that, it will be again reviewed.
  3.  However, all essential activities, including those covered under existing ‘Exemptions’, will remain unaffected, and exempted from curfew restrictions.
  4. The AC buses can also ply with 50 per cent occupancy.
  5. District Authorities have been asked to determine opening timings of non-essential shops, including on Sunday, on the basis of the local situation.
  6. The state government also added that Punjab will begin the vaccination of teachers, non-teaching staff and students in 18-45 age group from all schools and colleges from June 21.

These developments come at a time when the state recorded 629 fresh Covid cases, taking the infection tally to 5,88,525 on Monday, while 33 more fatalities pushed the toll to 15,602. However, the number of active cases dropped to 11,913 from 12,981 on Sunday.

Deaths were reported from several districts including Amritsar, Barnala, Fazilka, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Ludhiana.

Jalandhar reported 98 infections, followed by 55 in Amritsar and 52 in Ludhiana, among the fresh cases.

With 1,650 recoveries, the number of cured people reached 5,61,010, according to the bulletin. There are 188 critical patients who are on ventilator support, 586 other critical patients and 2,529 are on oxygen support, the bulletin said.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh registered 50 new cases, taking the infection tally to 61,160, according to the medical bulletin. Two more people died of COVID-19, taking the toll to 794.