Chandigarh Administration lifts Sunday lockdown

Night curfew stays; Sukhna open for morning, evening walkers

Some people seen without mask at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh, on Friday. Tribune photo: Pradeep Tewari

Chandigarh, June 18

After nearly one and a half months, residents will be able to enjoy their weekend, as the UT Administration has decided to lift the Sunday lockdown. With a significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases, UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore has decided to call off a general lockdown on Sunday. However, the night curfew will continue to remain in force from 10:30 pm to 5 am.

2 deaths, 39 cases in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: The city reported 39 new Covid-19 cases and two deaths on Friday. The active case tally now stands at 431 and the toll at 804. As many as 47 more patients recovered from the virus. TNS

12 cases, one death in Panchkula district

Panchkula: The district on Friday reported 12 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking the overall tally to 30,517. It also witnessed one death. A 64-year-old woman from Konna, who was suffering from diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension, succumbed to the virus. The death toll now stands at 367. While 30,016 patients have recovered so far, 134 cases are active. The recovery rate is 98.35 per cent. TNS

Sukhna Lake will remain closed during the day, but will remain open for morning and evening walkers from 5 am to 9 am and 6 pm to 8 pm on Sunday.

The development came days after the UT Administration allowed the shops to remain open for longer hours, from 10 am to 7 pm.

With a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, the UT Administration had on April 16 decided to impose weekend curfew in the city to prevent further spread of the virus.

As the number of corona cases continued to drop further, the Administration had on May 24 allowed all shops to open from 9 am to 3 pm and later, the timings were extended. Later, the curfew restrictions were lifted on Saturdays.

Charanjiv Singh, president, Chandigarh Beopar Mandal, said they were now hopeful of regular shopping hours in the coming week. Diwakar Sahoonja, chief spokesperson of CBM, said they were hopeful of early steps by the Administration towards pending demands of financial assistance and compensation for losses incurred by traders due to lockdown, self-assessments of pending taxation cases and bringing need-based changes in building bylaws of commercial properties. — TNS

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