Haryana lockdown extension: CM Manohar Khattar likely to take final call today

Amid the decline in coronavirus cases in Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is expected to take a final call on the extension of lockdown, which is currently in force till June 7, on Sunday (June 6). 

It is likely that CM Khattar would announce some relaxations in the lockdown and may allow unlocking of some sectors. Earlier last week, the lockdown in Haryana was extended by Haryana government by another week till June 7 but the restrictions on shop timings were releaxed. Terming the lockdown ‘Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert/Safe Haryana)’, the CM Khattar-led government in Haryana had allowed shops to stay open from 9 am to 3 pm on odd-even days.

CM Khattar had said during a virtual press conference that though the COVID-19 situation has improved in the state, it has been decided to extend the ‘Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana’ lockdown till 5 am on June 7 with some more relaxations. At that time, CM Khattar had announced that shops that were earlier allowed to open as per odd-even basis from 7 am to 12 pm will now be open from 9 am to 3 pm. 

"We had received representations from market associations after which we decided to change the timings. However, the shops will continue to open as per teh odd-even system," Khattar had said.

Malls across Haryana were allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm but with some conditions. The chief minister had stated that number of visitors allowed inside a mall will depend on the size of the structure. "For example, in a 1,000 square feet mall, 40 people will be allowed at a time, and if it has an area of 2,000 square feet, the number of people allowed at a given time will be 80," he said.