After West Bengal, Jharkhand extends current lockdown in containment zones till Sept 30

Amid rise in Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Jharkhand government on Friday, extended its current lockdown limited to containment zones till September 30. The government stated that all economic activities which were not specifically escorted shall be permitted. The other activities like social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ cultural/ religious events, large congregations, educational institutions will remain closed. Currently, Jharkhand has 11,096 active COVID cases and 22,927 recoveries with 373 new fatalities.

Jharkhand extends lockdown till July 31; malls, salons, religious places to remain shut

Jharkhand extends lockdown

NEET-JEE row: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren tears apart Centre's 'admit card' argument

Soren seeks JEE/NEET exam deferment

On Friday, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren mocked the Centre's argument that downloading of admit cards implied the support of students for holding the JEE and NEET exams on time. He also lamented that the Centre did not attempt to find an alternative solution. Soren is one among 9 CMs who have jointly agreed to move the Supreme Court seeking deferment of the exams scheduled in September.

Soren said, "Thousands of people have lost their lives due to COVID-19. So far, there is no cure for this virus. If a student or his family members get infected with COVID-19 because of these exams, who will take responsibility for this?".

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's tally at 33.87 lakh; Jharkhand extends current lockdown

Jharkhand's restrictions amid COVID

The state has prohibited the opening of religious places, cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, social functions, schools and other educational institutions, intrastate - interstate travel by bus, shopping bus, hotels/ restaurants (dine in), spas/salons/barbershops. The state has also released guidelines for shops, workplaces, people and transport. Jharkhand is the second state after West Bengal to extend the lockdown.

West Bengal lockdown extended till Sep 20; CM Mamata keeps colleges shut amid NEET-JEE row

The first case of the pandemic was reported from Hindpiri on March 31, when a 22-year-old Malaysian woman, who had been to Delhi's Tablighi Jamaat congregation, tested positive. The state had also maintained restrictions in place across the state inspite of the Centre's lifting of restrictions across India. Moreover, the state saw a sudden surge in cases due to the arrival of lakhs of migrant labourers via buses and Shramik trains. Currently, India's lockdown is limited to containment zones till August 31, with relaxations being implemented in several states. India's tally stands at  33,87,497 cases with 61,529 fatalities. 25,83,945 people have recovered.