CHANDIGARH: The easing of Covid restrictions by Punjab and Haryana has prompted the UT administration to consider extending the timing for opening shops and allow restaurants and bars to operate.
UT administrator V P Singh Badnore will take a decision during a review meeting on Tuesday.
Sources said the administration was likely to extend the shop-opening timings from the existing 9am to 4pm to 9am to 6pm.
Restaurants, bars and clubs might receive the nod to open with 50% capacity.
The issue of opening of malls and gyms will be discussed.
Chandigarh Beopar Mandal (CBM) has already sought restoring the old shopping timings of 10am to 8pm in markets.
The administration has extended the Covid curfew till June 9.
Last week, it had allowed opening of salons and barber shops for haircutting only.
A senior UT official said the administration will allow relaxations on the basis of the dip in Covid cases.
The positivity rate has decreased from 5% to 3% in the last one week.
The highest positivity rate was on May at 27.8%.
This dropped to 19.3% on May 14 and to 14.1% on May 19.
On June 1, the rate was 4.8%.
The daily rate has been reducing due to less number of infections in last two weeks.
Also, since the end of May, the testing, which was more than 4,000 a day, had reduced by 50%.