Relaxation in COVID-19 curbs announced in 4 more UP districts

The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed shops and markets outside containment zones in Varanasi, Muzaffarnagar, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad to open for five days a week from Monday after active COVID-19 cases in these four districts fell below 600. With this, the number of districts where active COVID-19 cases have fallen below 600 has reached 71, the state government said in a statement on Saturday.

It said the relaxations will come into effect from June 7 and will be effective from Mondays to Fridays from 7 am to 7 pm. However, night and weekend curfews will continue.

"A watch is kept on Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Meerut and Saharanpur districts and a decision on these may be taken on Tuesday," according to the statement.


In view of the number of COVID-19 patients recovering in the state, four to five districts are likely to witness active cases fall below 600 by Monday.

On May 30, the Uttar Pradesh government had relaxed the COVID-19 lockdown in 55 of 75 districts in the state.

Prior to Varanasi, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Muzaffarnagar and Ghaziabad, coronavirus curfew was relaxed in Bareilly and Bulandshahr on Saturday and in Jhansi on June 3.

On June 1, the curfew relaxations were extended to Lakhimpur Khiri, Ghazipur and Jaunpur while the curbs were relaxed in Sonbhadra, Deoria, Baghpat, Prayagraj, Bijnor and Moradabad on May 31.