Jharkhand extends lockdown-like restrictions with stricter provisions till June 3

The Jharkhand government on Tuesday extended the lockdown-like restrictions with stricter provisions till June 3 to contain Covid-19 surge in the state, an official said.

This is the third time that the restrictions, first imposed on April 22 for a week, are extended. The ongoing measures were scheduled to end on May 27.

"The Health Safety Week now stands extended till June 3 with all restrictions imposed earlier," the Chief Minister's Office said.

The decision was made at a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

The state secretariat will function with 33 per cent staff strength till 2 pm and there would be restrictions on the movement of people, the official said.

E-passes will be mandatory for movement in the state but government officials, media persons, factory workers and officials of big public and private enterprises will be exempted from the measure.

The curbs imposed as 'Health Safety Week' will have firm conditions while previous restrictions that were announced till May 13 will continue, officials said.

The restrictions include mandatory 7-day home or institutional quarantine for people visiting Jharkhand barring those who will leave the state within 72 hours.

Operations of inter- and intra-state buses have been suspended while private vehicles will have to obtain e-passes to be on the road.

The state has already prohibited all indoor and outdoor congregations of more than five persons.

All education centres and coaching institutions were closed and all examinations postponed.

Cinema halls, multiplexes, stadiums, gymnasiums, swimming pools and parks, among others, had also been closed in the state.



Agriculture, industries and mining operations, besides emergency services, are allowed to function.



The government is making all efforts to save both human lives and their livelihood, the chief minister said.



The mortality rate in the state remained at 1.46 per cent, higher than the national average of 1.10 per cent.

"As far as the death rates are concerned, we are at the top among the states in the country. Many states are manipulating data but the priority of our government is to ensure transparency and we will take all possible steps to contain the spread of the disease," Soren said.

The state now has 17,569 active cases, while 3,09,371 patients have recovered from the infection.