JOIN USBihar to impose lockdown from July 16 to July 31
Complete lockdown has been imposed again throughout Bihar from July 16 to July 31 after 1,432 new Covid-19 cases were detected on Tuesday.
Essential services will, however, remain exempted from the lockdown. All schools, colleges, shopping malls and religious places in the State will remain closed from July 16 to July 31.
The decision was taken by the Crisis Management Group, chaired by Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, after it was noticed that in the last three days, there has been unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases even though there is already lockdown in ten districts, including Patna.
Bihar's Home Secretary Amir Subhani was among those who tested postive for the virus on Tuesday. Earlier, five personnel in the Chief Secretary Office tested positive, following which the Chief Secretary Office was sealed. The Chief Secretary has now been working from home.
Bihar govt issues guidelines for lockdown from 16 to 31 July: Farming & construction-related activities allowed. Places of worship to remain closed. Commercial, private and govt establishments to remain closed apart from mentioned exceptions. Essential services allowed. #COVID19 https://t.co/wUGEzu1FG8 pic.twitter.com/p6lIYplqmD
— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2020
Besides, Rural Works Minister in Bihar, Shailesh Kumar, 24 BJP workers and 15 security officials at Raj Bhawan were also found to be coronavirus positive, thereby, taking the state tally to 17421 on Tuesday.
The first politician to be infected with Covid-19 was former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who was admitted to AIIMS-Patna last month. He was discharged earlier this month after he recovered fully.
The increase in Covid-19 cases has put a question mark on the ensuing Bihar Assembly election with all the parties, including the BJP, Congress, RJD and the LJP arguing that holding polls under such pandemic won't be an appropriate decision. The ruling JD (U) has, however, not made its stand clear.
An advocate Badri Narayan Singh has already moved Patna High Court pleading that the polls, slated for October-November this year, be deferred to February 2021.