Bihar extends lockdown till Sep 6 as COVID-19 cases spike

Patna: The Bihar government on Monday extended the lockdown till September 6 in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the state, as per a notification.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Crisis Management Group chaired by Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar.

Restrictions will remain in place in the district headquarters, sub-divisional headquarters, block headquarters and all municipal areas in the state, according to the notification issued by the Home Department.

Strict measures will be enforced in the buffer and containment zones, it said.

All religious places will remain closed and no congregation will be allowed. Besides, all social and political gatherings will be barred, it said.

Parks and gymnasiums will remain closed and night curfew, restricting the movement of people between 10 pm and 5 am, will be in place, it added.

Inter-state and inter-district bus services will also remain suspended though transportation of goods will be allowed without any hindrance.

The state has so far reported over 1 lakh cases of COVID-19, a ten-fold rise within a period of a month and a half. The government has attributed the sharp spike in cases to a higher number of tests.