Government and private offices in Bihar can function with full strength from Wednesday and shops can stay open an hour longer till 7 pm from Wednesday, chief minister Nirtish Kumar said on Monday after chairing the meeting of the crisis management group with ministers and senior officials.
The new set of relaxations, which also allow parks to reopen for six hours from 6am, will be effective from June 23 till July 6.
“After reviewing the situation in the state, it has been decided that all government and private offices will now work with their full workforce from June 23. The shops will remain open till 7pm and parks will open from 6am till 12 noon. The duration of night curfew has been reduced further and it will now remain from 9pm till 5am,” said Kumar.
Offices were earlier allowed to function till 5 pm with 50% attendance during Unlock 2, which was announced last week on June 16 while shops were allowed to be opened on alternate days till 6pm.
On Monday, Bihar had less than 2,200 active Covid cases.
Bihar imposed a hard lockdown on May 5, an order that was extended four times to contain a record rise in Covid-19 infections in the state, the last on June 2. The severe restrictions helped control the spread of the infection that paralysed the healthcare system and led to death of hundreds of patients while the state struggled to augment the number of beds, oxygen supply and essential medicines.
The restrictions were eased in phases, first when shops were allowed to open from 6am-5pm on alternate days while the night curfew barred movement of people from 5pm till 6am. These restrictions were further eased on June 16, described by state officials as Unlock 2.
“During the Unlock 3 period, parks and gardens have been allowed to open from 6am till 12 noon with proper Covid protocol while the duration of night curfew has been further reduced by an hour from 9pm till 5am,” additional chief secretary (home), Chaitanya Prasad.
Prasad said the state government has allowed certain relaxations for weddings and last rites. “In both these functions, now 25 persons have been allowed while restaurants have also been allowed to provide take-away services in addition to home delivery. However, cinema halls, malls, swimming pools, clubs would continue to remain closed,” he said.
The official said schools, colleges and coaching institutes will continue to remain closed and a decision on their opening will be taken at a later date.
