As the Covid-19 cases are declining, the Uttar Pradesh government announced further relaxation on restrictions imposed during the unprecedented second wave in all 75 districts. According to new guidelines, after nearly two months, the government said all malls and restaurants can open with 50 percent capacity on weekdays till 9 pm. The night curfew hours will be from 9 pm to 7 am.
The government also allowed shops and markets outside containment zones to open five days a week. While most of the activities have been allowed, restrictions will continue on others.
Government and private offices will work in full capacity. Cinema halls, stadiums, gyms, and swimming pools, schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions will remain closed.
A maximum of 50 people will be allowed in weddings at both open and closed venues and only 50 people will be allowed in a religious place at a time, the new guidelines said.
Uttar Pradesh government had announced relaxations in the ongoing Covid lockdown across 55 districts where the number of active coronavirus cases has fallen below the 600-mark from June 1.
With 51 new Covid fatalities in Uttar Pradesh, the death count rose to 22,132 on Saturday, while the infection tally reached 17,04,139 after 294 more people tested positive for coronavirus, according to a health bulletin.
Thirteen deaths have been reported from Lucknow, four each from Ayodhya, five from Shahjahanpur, and Hathras, three each from Kanpur Nagar and Lakhimpur Kheri, two each from Unnao, Pilibhit, Auraiyya and Bhadohi, and one each from Meerut, Allahabad, Bulandshahr, Pratapgarh, Sant Kabir Nagar, Sambhal, Kanpur Dehat, Mirzapur, Ambedkar Nagar, Jalaun, and Mahoba.
The official bulletin said out of the 294 fresh cases, 27 have been reported from Lucknow, 26 from Varanasi, 16 from Meerut, 12 each from Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur, and 11 each from Allahabad and Rae Bareli, among others, it said.
The count of active COVID-19 cases stands at 4,957, the bulletin said.
Over 5.50 crore samples have been tested in the state so far, with more than 2.73 lakh samples tested in the last 24 hours, it added.