Shops, Offices Reopen in Raipur, Parts of Chhattisgarh Post-Lockdown

Raipur, August 7: Shops and commercial establishments in Raipur and otherurban parts of Chhattisgarh resumed their operations on Friday, as they were allowed to function with certain restrictions after over a two-week long lockdown came to an end on Thursday.

Roads in state capital Raipur witnessed a rise in the traffic movement as all the state government and private offices, which were shut since July 22 due to the lockdown, started functioning again from Friday. Also Read | WBJEE Results 2020 Declared by West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination Board on Its Official Website wbjeeb.nic.in.

Strict restrictions as a part of the lockdown were imposed for a week in Raipur and in areas under Birgaon Municipal Corporation in Raipur district since July 22 to contain the spread of COVID-19 after these areas reported a sudden rise in cases. However, emergency services, including hospitals, were kept out of the purview of the restrictions. The lockdown was later extended till August 6. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Tweets 'People's Confidence at All-Time Low, Fear And Insecurities at All-Time High', Cites RBI Survey on Consumer Confidence.

On Thursday evening, Raipur district administration issued fresh guidelines for re-opening of shops in different shifts from Friday, a public relations department official here said. As per the fresh guidelines, sale of vegetables, dairy products, mutton and fish will be allowed from 6 am to noon while grocery shops and general stores will open from 8 am till 4 pm in the district, he said.

Similarly, hotels and restaurants will operate from 10 am to 9 pm, while the home delivery facilities for them have been permitted from 10 am to 10 pm, he said. Other businesses, such as cloth stores, shoe shops, wholesale markets, hardware, can run their business from 11 am to 7 pm, he said.

Besides, street food vendors running business on handcarts can also operate from 6 am to 9 am and 5 pm to 8 pm, he said. Gyms have been allowed to operate between 6 am to 8 pm, he added. On Sundays all shops should remain closed except the home delivery of milk from 6 am to 9.30 am and 5 pm till 6.30 pm, he said.

In case any area is declared as a containment zone then all business activities will have to be shut there till the restrictions continue, he added. All shop owners and their employees have to wear face masks and will also keep masks for sale/distribution to customers if they visit their facilities with covering their faces, he said.

They will also have to keep hand sanitisers in their establishment for themselves as well as customers, he said. If any owner of shops or commercial establishments is found violating the safety protocols, then their facilities will be sealed for 15 days, he said.

Similar lockdown imposed in various urban bodies in different districts, including Durg, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur and Korba, of the state, ended on Thursday, where guidelines have been issued for operation of business and other activities.

Chhattisgarh, where the infection has spread in all the 28 districts, reported 11,020 COVID-19 cases till Thursday. Of these, 2,855 were active cases as 8,088 patients have been discharged while 77 others have died. The state has recorded over 7,600 cases and 63 deaths just in the last one month. With 3,673 cases till Thursday, Raipur district tops the state tally.

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