Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to impose stricter lockdown across the state on weekends to stop the coronavirus spread, a senior official said on Sunday.
The decision has come amid a spike in the number of infection cases, which had crossed 35,000 on Saturday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also ordered to conduct 50,000 #COVID19 tests per day in the state. https://t.co/0wvtvxaXJn
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 12, 2020
Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI that the restrictions will be imposed from coming Saturday and remain in place at least for July.
"The lockdown on weekends will be implemented from the coming Saturday and Sunday, especially in crowded areas. Markets and offices will remain closed on these days. However, banks will remain open," Awasthi said.
"This is being done to stop the spread of the infection through unwanted physical movement. Economic activities will, however, not suffer. Social activities will remain limited," he added.
Awasthi said the curbs will remain effective in both urban and rural areas of the state.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday directed officials to carry out special cleanliness and sanitisation drives in all markets on the weekends when all shops will be shut to contain the spread of COVID-19.
He said all industrial units should also be sanitised on Saturdays and Sundays.(PTI)
