Amid Coronavirus surge, UP Health Minister says no ration for people without masks

Uttar Pradesh Health Department imposes strict rules amid rising Covid-19 cases. It has been made mandatory for buyers to wear masks. Buyers will not be served any rations if they don't follow Covid norms or found without masks. The rules will be executed in the state from today.

Cities of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, and Varanasi will have to abide by these rules to curb the fresh spike of Covid-19 as informed by state health minister Jai Pratap Singh.

“If you do not have a mask, you will not get the goods from today. Shopkeepers also needed to have the mask. If the shopkeepers do not put on masks, action will be taken,” added state health minister Jai Pratap Singh.

In the last 24 hours, Lucknow alone reported 2934 fresh cases with 14 deaths followed by 1,016 from Prayagraj, 845 from Varanasi.

Yesterday, defence minister Rajnath Singh had discussed ways to bring down the fresh spike in Covid-19 cases in Uttar Pradesh with CM Yogi Adityanath. He also suggested increasing the healthcare facility and CM assured him that measures have been taken.

Strictness in Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, and Varanasi

Night curfew has been imposed in Lucknow, Kanpur Pryagraj, Varanasi, and other parts of UP to curb the spread of the second wave of Covid-19. Apart from medical, nursing, and paramedical institutes, all other sectors including government and non-government institutes are shut down in Lucknow till April 15 as announced by District Magistrate.

Earlier UP CM Yogi Adityanath also visited the hospitals of Varanasi and Prayagraj to check on the medical facilities and has announced an all-party meet next week. Meanwhile, meetings with health officials have been called with governor Anandiben Patel on April 11. The CM has also urged people to participate in ‘Tika Utsav’ scheduled from April 11 till 14.  

Covid-19 curbs in other parts of India

Apart from Uttar Pradesh, rules of weekend lockdown and night curfew have been imposed in several parts of India including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackray has called an all-party meet today to discuss ways of bringing down the Covid-19 surge in the state and stricter guidelines are expected.