Bihar lockdown extended till June 8, says CM Nitish Kumar
The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on Monday extended the Covid-induced lockdown till June 8. Kumar, however, said that some rules will be eased to allow businesses to operate wherever cases are low.
"In view of Covid-19 situation, it has been decided to extend the lockdown by one week. But additional exemption is being given for trade. Everyone should wear masks and maintain social distance," Kumar tweeted in Hindi.
Normal life and business activities came to a grinding halt in the state after the state government imposed a complete lockdown on May 5 to stem the spread of virus. The restrictions were extended subsequently by the government. The current phase of lockdown is set to end on June 1.
The latest order said that government offices can operate with 25 per cent of employees. Offices can open till 4 PM, but all the non-government offices will remain closed. Grocery shops can now operate from 6 am to 2 pm. Earlier, shops were allowed to operate for four hours till 10 am. Other shops and business establishments will open on alternate days from 6 am to 2 pm. DMs have been asked to issue necessary guidelines for businesses and ensure Covid protocols are followed robustly.
The state is witnessing a sharp decline in fresh Covid-19 cases. A total of 1,475 fresh cases were reported in the state in the last 24 hours. The positivity rate has declined to 1.46 per cent.
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