With a spike in corona cases in the past few weeks, the Federation of Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FJCCI) has decided to suspend business activities three days in a week on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. As per the FJCCI decision all business establishments leaving aside essential services such as medical stores and dairy outlets will be closed for three days.
The FJCCI took the decision today at its meeting headed by chamber president Kunal Ajmani, who said, “As the corona cases are increasing at a fast rate with infection reaching across the state. As preventive measures we have decided to close down shops and other business establishments for three days in a week.”
Ajmani said, “This week on a trial basis all shops and business establishments will be closed for three days. We will analyze the speed of infection during these three days. If there are positive results, then restrictions (closing shops/business establishments) will continue in coming weeks too.” The FJCCI president claimed that every day hundreds of corona patients are detected from across the State with people not following social distancing.
There are 4000 members (businessmen) registered with FJCCI directly and indirectly around 500000 members are enrolled with the chamber. Sources said that the FJCCI decision to keep shops and business establishments closed for three days will help in breaking the coronavirus chain.
The FJCCI has also decided to approach the Chief Minister to enforce closing of shops and business establishments seriously.
The FJCCI members claim that social distancing is followed at big shops and outlets, but the biggest threat is at markets especially vegetable and fruits markets.
Echoing the views of Ajmani, Anuj Khemka grocery shop owner at Upper Bazar said, “We have to live with corona. The situation is such that we have to follow all preventive measures to keep away the infections.” “Wearing of masks, keeping sanitizers and maintaining social distancing should be followed,” added Khemka.
Meanwhile, the Jharkhand government is also contemplating to enforce more restrictions so as to check the spread of infections. Presently in Jharkhand malls, multiplexes, cinema halls, shopping complexes, courts, high courts and other offices are closed are functioning online or with limited workforce. The Jharkhand government this year had called off annual Shravani Mela at Deoghar as all religious places are closed.
Few days back, keeping the rising number of coronavirus cases in mind, four new Covid care centres were set up in Ranchi, Jharkhand for asymptomatic patients. According to the district administration of the state capital, these Covid care centres have a combined capacity of 313 beds. Further one of them, located in Paras Hospital, HEC area is also equipped with the ICU facility.
In Jharkhand there are 5535 corona cases with 2716 persons recovered from infection, while 49 persons have died due to Covid-19.