All shops, barring malls, to be open from today

Opening of shops on alternate days has only led to more crowding: govt.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that all shops except malls will be opened from Thursday.

The government said that though it allowed opening of shops on alternate days, it was observed that more crowds were gathering at the shops that were open. Thus, it was decided to open more shops and let the crowds disperse. Shop owners and consumers should strictly following COVID-19 guidelines of physical distancing, wearing masks and using hand sanitisers, a release from the Chief Minister’s office said on Wednesday night.

Simple affair

Mr. Rao, at a review meeting, instructed officials to celebrate State Formation Day on June 2 in a simple manner in view of the lockdown due to coronavirus. He said that only paying tributes to the martyrs and hoisting of National Flag alone should be observed and no meetings or conferences should be held. Ministers, people’s representatives and officials should hoist the national flag in their respective offices.

The Chief Minister will pay tributes at the Martyrs Memorial and then hoist the flag at Pragathi Bhavan. In the district headquarters with key officials, At Home will be organised on a small scale.

Sanitation Week

Mr. Rao said that Cleanliness-Sanitation programme should be organised in all towns and villages from June 1 to 8.

The sanitation measures should be taken to prevent seasonal diseases along with COVID-19, he said in a review meeting with MA&UD Minister K.T. Rama Rao, Principal Secretary Arvind Kumar, Panchayat Raj Commissioner Raghunandan and other officials here on Wednesday.