Haryana extends lockdown till July 5, relaxations allowed earlier to continue

By PTI
CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government Sunday extended the coronavirus lockdown by another week till July 5, while allowing university campuses to open for research scholars and practical classes in laboratories.

“The Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana is extended for another week that is from June 28 (5 am onwards) to July 5 (till 5 am) in the state of Haryana,” Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan said in an order issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The state government has termed the coronavirus lockdown “Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert-Safe Haryana)”.

University campuses are allowed to open for research scholars, laboratory practicals, remedial and doubt classes by adopting requisite social distancing norms, regular sanitisation and Covid-appropriate behaviour, according to the order.

Anganwadi centres and crèches under Women and Child Development Department shall continue to remain closed.

These places will remain shut till July 31 in the state.

The state’s Department of Women and Child Welfare will release the methodology for implementation of various women and child welfare programmes in the state, the order said.

The relaxations on reopening of shops, malls, restaurants, religious places, corporate offices, gatherings in weddings, funerals, open spaces etc will continue as currently in place.

According to earlier relaxations all shops are allowed to open from 9 am to 8 pm, malls from 10 am to 8 pm, restaurants and bars, including in hotels and malls, from 10 am to 10 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity.

Swimming pools and spas will continue to remain closed.

“Now, after duly considering the fact that although the Covid positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined, so as to continue the preventive and precautionary measures to contain the Covid pandemic – the ‘Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana’ is extended for another week…,” the order said.

The number of daily COVID-19 cases, which had crossed the 15,000-mark last month, have now come down to nearly 100 while the Covid fatalities have also registered a sharp fall.

The Haryana government had imposed the lockdown in the state on May 3 in view of the prevailing Covid situation.

It has now been extended for the eighth time.