RANCHI: The Jharkhand government on Wednesday imposed a complete weekend lockdown in the state between June 12 and June 14 and extended the ongoing health safety week till June 16.
The weekend lockdown will extend to grocery stores, vegetable and fruit shops and meat shops, which were allowed to open till 2pm throughout the week since the partial lockdown kicked in.
An official notification in this regard was issued by chief secretary Sukhdev Singh hours after the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) met under the chairmanship of chief minister Hemant Soren.
Notably, the health safety week is in effect since April 22.
In the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Jharkhand has recorded over 2.18 lakh cases and more than 3,500 fatalities between April 1 and May 25.
The state had a little under 5,500 active cases as on Tuesday.
The order, however, allowed all commercial establishments to remain open till 4pm between Mondays and Fridays.
In Jamshedpur and the entire East Singhbhum district, however, garment and apparel stores, footwear stores and cosmetic shops shall continue to remain closed.
The decision was made keeping in mind the sudden spurt of Covid-19 cases in Jamshedpur and other parts of East Singhbhum in the past four days.
Shopping malls, parks, gymnasiums, swimming pools, hotels (for sit in or dining) and theatres will remain closed statewide.
Schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes will continue their classrooms virtually and religious and cultural processions will remain suspended, the order read.
All examinations to be conducted by the state government run boards shall remain suspended.
Marriage ceremonies will be allowed only in court or at homes with a maximum attendance of 11 people.
All government and private offices were cleared for opening their premises for work till 4pm on weekdays with staff strength of one third of their respective capacities.
“All people arriving into the state by road, railways and air will have to remain in a mandatory home quarantine for seven days.
Bus (public) services shall remain closed except for industrial, mining and administrative activities.
Persons travelling inter state and inter-district will need to carry e-pass,” the order stated.