In a major decision, the Uttarakhand Government has decided to do away with the special lockdown of Saturday and Sunday in Dehradun city. The markets in the State would also remain open till 8 pm every day.

The State had decided to keep the markets, offices and other public places closed on weekends in the Unlock I which started from June 1.

The Chief Minister (CM) Trivendra Singh Rawat said on Saturday that the lockdown enforced on Saturdays and Sunday in view of the Covid-19 pandemic would end from next week.

In a video conferencing session with the District Magistrates (DMs) of all the districts of the state held on Saturday, the CM said that people should not be stopped from going out for morning walk.

The CM directed the DMs to ensure that the surveillance system should be strengthened to effectively control Covid-19.

He said that the proper monitoring of the people in the home and institutional quarantine should be done and strict action should be taken on those who are not following the rules and regulations.

Rawat said that the recovery rate of Covid-19 in the state is increasing steadily which is a good sign.

He directed the DMs and the officials of the health department to work with alertness and by adopting all safety measures.

In the meeting the officials informed the CM that 1,700 tests of Covid-19 are now being done in the state per day and from Monday, the Covid-19 tests would start in Mukteshwar of Almora district.

Here 100 tests per day would be done.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Health, Amit Singh Negi, Secretary Shailesh Bagauli, Sowjanya, S A Murugeshan, Pankaj

Kumar Pandey, director general (DG) health services Dr Amita Upreti and others.