COVID-19 lockdown: Haryana extends curbs till 7 June; malls to reopen, shops to follow odd-even rule

Chandigarh: The Haryana government on Sunday extended the coronavirus-induced lockdown in the state by another week till 7 June, easing restrictions on shop timings which will now be allowed to stay open from 9 am to 3 pm on odd-even days. The state government termed the lockdown “Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert/Safe Haryana)”. Addressing a virtual press conference, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said even though the COVID-19 situation has improved in the state, it has been decided to extend the “Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana” lockdown till 5 am on 7 June with some more relaxations. He said shops which were earlier allowed to open as per odd-even basis from 7 am to 12 pm will now be open from 9 am to 3 pm. “We had received representations from market associations after which we decided to change the timings. However, the shops will continue to open as per teh odd-even system,” Khattar said. Malls will now be allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm, subject to certain conditions, he said. Number of visitors allowed inside a mall will depend on the size of the structure, the chief minister added. “For example, in a 1,000 square feet mall, 40 people will be allowed at a time, and if it has an area of 2,000 square feet, the number of people allowed at a given time will be 80,” he said. Those allowed entry can stay inside for a limited duration, and entry of others will be permitted based on how many are inside the mall at a particular time, Khattar added. “Mall operators will have to come out with a mechanism for this, and they will have to take necessary permission from deputy commissioners concerned,” he said. The daily “corona curfew” timing in the state will continue to be from 10 pm to 5 am, he added.