India’s northern state Uttar Pradesh opens all markets from Monday to Friday

LUCKNOW, Jul 12, 2020, Financial Express. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government will implement lockdown on weekends to stop spread of COVID-19, news agency PTI quoted Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi as saying today. The state had earlier imposed lockdown for the current weekend, Financial Express reported.

The report said that the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to implement strict lockdown across the state on weekends. “The lockdown on weekends will be implemented from the coming Saturday and Sunday especially in the crowded areas. The markets and offices will remain closed on these days. However, the banks will remain open,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Information) Awanish Awasthi was quoted as saying by PTI.

Awasthi further said that lockdown is being extended to weekends to stop the spread of infection through unwanted physical movement. Economic activities will, however, not suffer, he said.

The lockdown on weekends will remain effective in both urban and rural areas of the state. Awasthi also said that the lockdown on weekends will remain in place in the month of July. “It (lockdown) will be in place for the month of July at least,” Awasthi said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today issued fresh UNLOCK guidelines for the state. As er the new guidelines, all markets are allowed to remain open from Monday to Friday. Sanitization process in markets will be done on weekends.