Uttar Pradesh government allows markets to open on Sundays

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday allowed markets to open on Sundays in view of the improved coronavirus situation in the state.

The decision was taken at a meeting held by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to review the COVID-19 situation.

"Now markets can open from Monday to Sunday from 6 am to 10 pm. Night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am will remain in force. The markets will now be closed as they used to be before restrictions were imposed due to Covid," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said in an order.

Earlier at the meeting, Adityanath said, "In view of the improving COVID-19 situation in the state, doing away with the system of statewide weekly closure (of markets) on Sundays can be considered. Now on, in all cities/markets/industries/factories, the closure should be implemented as it was before the spread of coronavirus."

A statement said there is not even a single COVID-19 patient in 15 districts of the state -- Aligarh, Amethi, Budaun, Basti, Deoria, Farrukhabad, Hamirpur, Hardoi, Hathras, Kasganj, Mahoba, Mirzapur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shravasti and Shamli.

Currently, there are 408 active cases in the state, it said.

In July, the Uttar Pradesh government had issued guidelines allowing markets, shops and other business establishments to function from 6 am to 10 pm from Monday to Friday. Shops were ordered to close down on Saturdays and Sundays.

On August 11, the government allowed shops to open on Saturdays.