Chandigarh shops selling non-essential items to shut for week: With a surge in Covid-19 cases, the Chandigarh administration on Monday decided to shut all shops selling non-essential items for a week from 5 p.m. on Tuesday till May 11 early morning.
The night curfew will continue daily from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. with a total weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday.
There will be no restriction on interstate movement, but random testing will be done of those who enter the city without negative Covid report or the vaccine certificate.
Also, movement of vehicles will be allowed during daytime.
At a war room meeting chaired by UT Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore here, it was decided that Chandigarh being the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, the total sealing of its borders will not be possible.
It was also felt that a total lockdown for long period will adversely affect the economy and may also lead to migration of labourers from the city, thereby causing massive disruption. Hence, a considered decision was taken to have limited restrictive measures, an official statement said.
It was decided that all government offices and banks will work with 50 per cent capacity. As far as possible, all private offices will ensure that their staff work from home. So was the public transport that will run with 50 per cent capacity.
The ban on cinema halls, gyms, spas, bars, swimming pools and coaching centres will continue. The sports complexes will remain closed, but special permission can be given by the Secretary, Sports, to athletes preparing for the Olympics, etc.
Restaurants, including hotels, cafe, coffee shops and eating places will operate only for take-away food. Home delivery can be done up to 9 p.m.
The ban on all social, cultural, sports and political gatherings will continue.
Visitors to government offices may be required to produce vaccination certificates or negative Covid reports.
Crowded places like the famed Sukhna Lake, museums, libraries and the Rock Garden will be closed for the public. While school and colleges are closed, the teaching staff will be required to come as per instructions of the Education Department.
