The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday decided to increase the duration of weekend lockdowns in the state by a further 24 hours, in view of the rise in coronavirus cases, PTI reported. The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Adityanath.

“The weekend closure will now be applicable from Friday 8 pm till Tuesday 7 am,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Navneet Sehgal told reporters in Lucknow. All shops and other establishments will remain shut during the restrictions, Sehgal said. However, essential services and vaccination drive will continue.

The new timings will come into effect from the weekend starting on April 30. Earlier, the weekend lockdown used to be effective from Friday 8 pm to Monday 7 am.

In a statement released after the meeting, Adityanath said that remdesivir drug was available free of cost in government hospitals. He also said that the Defence Research and Development Organisation was setting up hospitals at Lucknow and Varanasi. He directed officials to take actions against those indulging in black marketing of oxygen and medicines and hospitals overcharging coronavirus patients.

On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh recorded 29,824 new cases of Covid-19, pushing the state’s tally to 11,82,848, PTI reported. The toll went up to 11,943, with the highest single-day rise in fatalities of 266.

Noting that the pandemic situation in Uttar Pradesh had become “very chaotic”, the Allahabad High Court had on Tuesday issued orders for judicial officers to be appointed as nodal officers in nine worst-hit districts.

The court had also reiterated its request to the Adityanath-led state government to impose a two-week lockdown in the state. On April 19, the Allahabad High Court had ordered imposition of lockdown in the five cities of Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur and Gorakhpur. However, the verdict was put on stay by the Supreme Court after the state government challenged it.