Uttar Pradesh Government Orders Lockdown On Every Weekend Amidst COVID-19 Spread

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday announced that to contain the spread of COVID-19 there will be complete lockdown in the state every Friday from 10 pm to 5 am on Monday till further orders. The Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh government, Rajendra Kumar Tiwari made this clear in a government order today.

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The government order read,

During the said period every week, all government offices (except essential services and banks) will remain closed. All the urban and rural markets and commercial establishments will also stay closed in this period. The weekly haats (markets), which used to be organised on the weekend can now be arranged on any day between Monday and Friday. All religious places could remain open in this period after following all protocols for social distancing and health guidelines in view of COVID-19 pandemic, the government order read.

The government further said all IT (Information Technology) and ITeS (Information Technology Enabled Services) industries could also function after maintaining social distancing and other guidelines.

Door-step delivery of essential goods and medical services will be allowed as in the past, the government said.

The transport services – rail, road and air – will be allowed as in the past. The UPSRTC (Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation) will arrange for buses for the railway passengers in helping them reach their destinations once they arrive at the station.

The state government further said the district administrations will conduct sanitisation programmes in the lockdown period every week. The government has urged the police and district administration to enforce the lockdown with sincerity.

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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.