Amid Rising COVID-19 Cases, Uttar Pradesh Announces 55-hour Lockdown From Tonight Till Monday Morning

New Delhi: The fifth worst-hit state in India due to coronavirus pandemic – Uttar Pradesh has decided to impose a strict 55-hour lockdown across the state as the cases increase. The lockdown will come into effect starting 10 pm tonight (July 10, Friday) and will be lifted at 5 am on Monday (July 13). The government has said during the lockdown period only essential services will be allowed and everything else will be closed in the state.

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According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as of July 10, Uttar Pradesh has recorded more than 32,000 cases of coronavirus, of which more than 21,000 patients have recovered, whereas 862 patients have lost their lives. In the wake of spiraling coronavirus cases every single day, this lockdown has been planned by the Uttar Pradesh Government.

Here is a look at what will remain open and what will be closed in this lockdown in Uttar Pradesh:

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Directs To Increase Beds In COVID-19 Hospitals To 1 Lakh By Month-end

What Remains Open

• Essential services like medical and health will continue as before
• Petrol pumps and eateries present on the highways will also remain open
• There is no restriction on movement of those working in essential services, corona warriors, sanitation and the door-step delivery staff
• The movement of railways will also continue. Moreover, Uttar Pradesh Road Transport Corporation would make arrangement to operate buses to carry only those passengers arriving at the railway stations
• There is no curb in air services (both domestic and international) and there will also be no restrictions on the movement of people from airports to their destination
• Goods carrier vehicles will also not be restricted
• The ongoing campaign of medical screening and surveillance in the state too will continue in the lockdown
• The other exception will be factories in rural areas, which will be allowed to operate
• Construction works of expressways, bridges, roads and private projects will also continue

Also Read: To Contain Spread Of Coronavirus, 1,500 Teams Will Conduct Door-to-Door Screening In Noida

What Remains Closed:

• Private, Government Offices and markets in urban and rural areas will remain closed during this period
• Bus services, other than those ferrying passengers to railway stations, would be prohibited
• Other industrial units in the urban areas will remain closed

To monitor the lockdown across the state, the magistrates and police officers will hold joint patrolling and the teams of police and UP-112 would ensure these restrictions are followed well.

Also Read: 6 Months On, A Recap Of How the Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded

Talking to NDTV about the lockdown in Uttar Pradesh, 59-year-old and a resident of Sector 37, Noida, Virendra Sharma said,

Not sure if this lockdown will work in curbing the spread of the virus. Our sector has more than 10 active cases of COVID-19, yet our sector gates are open and the daily activity is happening normally. Earlier, when the centre was in-charge of the hotspot areas, with even 2 active cases, since the sector was in a hotspot category, it was sealed fully with police patrolling. Now with more cases, there is no such thing. Apart from essential services, other activities are allowed. In the lockdown period also, courier services, delivery services have not been stopped.

Retired Col Shashi Vaid, chairman of the Arun Vihar Resident Association (AVRWA) adds,

Arun Vihar has become one of the urban clusters in the times of coronavirus. With more than 15 active cases in sector 28, 29 and 37, the situation is currently alarming. No contact tracing has been done even in the hotspots like these sectors till date. Authorities need to start doing random testing to curb the spread of the virus, lockdown can slow down the spread but surely cannot contain the spread.

Also Read: 6 Months On, What Do We Know About The Coronavirus Pandemic

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.