Weekend lockdown to be imposed in UP on Saturdays & Sundays as Covid-19 cases surge

Lucknow, Apr 20: In the wake of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh, Weekend lockdown has been imposed in the state on Saturdays & Sundays.

Lockdown will come into effect on Friday 8 pm & continue till Monday 7 am.

'' Only essential services will be allowed. Night curfew will remain imposed in all districts,'' Awanish K Awasthi, Additional Chief Secy, Home Department said.

In addition, the Supreme Court agreed to hear on Tuesday itself the plea of the Uttar Pradesh government against the Allahabad High Court order directing it to impose strict restrictions till April 26 in five cities amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The high court had directed the Uttar Pradesh government to impose strict restrictions including closing of malls, shopping complexes and restaurants till April 26 in five cities, but stopped short of calling it a "complete lockdown".

Allahabad, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Nagar and Gorakhpur are the cities in which the high court has directed curbs.

The high court had said these curbs are "nowhere close to a complete lockdown".

Reacting to the order, the UP government said there would be no "complete lockdown" in the cities for now.
The high court said if people are restrained from going out of their homes for a week in the first instance, the current chain of spread of the COVID-19 infection can be broken.

Accordingly, we are passing the directions in respect of cities of Prayagraj (Allahabad), Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur Nagar and Gorakhpur and we direct the government to strictly enforce them forthwith," it said.

"All establishments be it government or private, except financial institutions and financial departments, medical and health services, industrial and scientific establishments, essential services including municipal functions, and public transport, shall remain closed till 26th April, 2021. The judiciary will, however, function on its own discretion," the high court said.

It further directed the government to ensure that grocery shops and other commercial shops excluding medical shops, with more than three workers be closed.

Likewise, all malls, shopping complexes, restaurants, eateries shall remain close till April 26, it had said, adding all religious places shall also remain close for the period and no social function except marriage should be allowed.