india

Updated: Apr 29, 2020 11:13 IST

All shops, markets, home delivery services and business activities are closed for a day on Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, district magistrate Kaushalraj Sharma said as the number of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) rose in municipal corporation limits.

The temple town, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has reported 49 cases of Covid-19 including one death so far. Eight patients have also recovered from the deadly disease and 40 are being treated.

Sharma said the movement of people engaged in government work, social organisations providing food packets, home delivery of milk and those associated with state-run and private hospitals will be allowed.

Apart from these, all types of passes will remain suspended on Wednesday, he said.

The district magistrate said a decision may be taken to open shops and allow other activities after Thursday. He said that this order is only for the limits of Varanasi municipal corporation and does not apply to rural areas.

No one, except those with a medical reason, will be allowed to get inside Varanasi’s municipal limits. Anyone found outside their house in the city without a medical emergency will be booked.