Amid rise in COVID-19 cases, Haryana imposes lockdown on weekends
All non-essential offices and shops in Haryana have been ordered to remain shut on every Saturday and Sunday in an attempt to check the spread of the novel coronavirus, state Health Minister Anil Vij has said. Thus far, the northern state has witnessed more than 50,000 COVID-19 cases and 578 deaths. Here are more details on this.
State Home Minister Anil Vij tweeted the update
"All offices and shops except essential will remain closed in Haryana on every Saturday and Sunday due to COVID-19 (sic)," Vij tweeted this evening. However, restriction on the movement of people or traffic is unlikely, per reports.
You can read Anil Vij's tweet here
Rising COVID-19 cases in Haryana
The development was necessitated amid a sharp daily spike in Haryana's COVID-19 tally. On Thursday, the state reported its highest single-day hike of 996 coronavirus cases. The previous day, it had reported 994 cases.
A day before, Punjab announced sweeping restrictions
The move comes just a day after the neighboring state of Punjab announced sweeping restrictions to contain COVID-19's spread. The state government, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has increased the daily night curfew duration by two hours. It has also imposed a weekend lockdown in all 167 cities and towns. Further, it banned all gatherings, except for weddings and funerals.
29 lakh infections and 55,000 deaths across India
India, the third worst-hit country in the COVID-19 outbreak, has recorded 29 lakh cases of the deadly disease. In fact, this morning, a whopping 68,898 fresh cases were reported. More than 21 lakh have recovered, while nearly 55,000 died due to the virus. Globally, COVID-19 has infected 2.29 crore and claimed the lives of 7.98 lakh.
