Haryana lifts weekend restrictions, malls to now close on Monday and Tuesday

Chandigarh, Aug 28: In a major relief to retailers amid spread of COVID-19, the Haryana government on Friday modified its order of weekend closure of malls and markets.

"Shopping malls and shops, except those dealing with essential goods and services, shall remain closed on Monday and Tuesday in the market places of urban areas of Haryana. Accordingly, there is no bar on opening of shops and shopping malls on Saturday and Sunday in these areas," a statement from Haryana government said on Friday.

Restaurant chains and mall operators have been protesting the weekend closure announced by the Haryana government last week.

Haryana reported a spike of 1,293 COVID-19 cases and 12 more deaths due to the coronavirus, according to a medical bulletin.

The death toll in the state now stands at 646, while the total number of cases is 59,298, it said.

Of the 12 fatalities, Rewari, Panchkula and Kurukshetra reported two deaths each, while one person each died in Nuh, Jhajjar, Karnal, Rohtak, Gurugram and Faridabad districts, according to the state health department''s daily bulletin.

The districts which reported fresh cases include Gurugram (141), Sonipat (123), Faridabad (96), Panchkula (94), Yamunanagar (84), Panipat (79), Rewari (75), Ambala (71) and Hisar (61), it said.

The active cases in the state stand at 9,962 while 48,690 people have been discharged after recovery from COVID-19.