The Haryana Government went on to extend the State-wide Covid-19 lockdown again as it faced the second surge of the Coronavirus. The present lockdown was to end on May 10, that is tomorrow, will now continue till May 24.

Announcing this on Twitter, the State Health Minister, Anil Vij said that stringent measures will be adopted to enforce the ongoing lockdown.

The tweet read by the Minister read: "Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana extended from 17 May to 24 May. Stringent measures will be taken to implement the alert." The State Government has termed the lockdown as "Mahamari Alert/Surkshit Haryana.

This is the second time that the State Government is extending the ongoing Covid lockdown. The first lockdown was imposed on May 3 for a week till May 10 which was extended till May 17.

On May 15, the State reported 99,007 active cases while the total stood at 6,75,636 cases.

The Government has urged the residents to stay indoors during the lockdown. It has, however, granted exemption in several categories like earlier restrictions. These include those connected with law and order, emergencies and municipal service duties and government machinery tasked with Covid-19 related duties.

With the aim of controlling the spread of the virus, the State authorities have also order other restrictions like imposition of prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC and daily night curfew.

According to the latest order no gathering of more than 11 persons will be allowed, including in weddings, cremation and funerals. Further, marriages will be allowed only at home and in courts with a maximum limit of 11 persons. No movement of 'barat' procession is allowed, the order said.

Earlier, in the case of funerals, congregation of more than 20 people was not permitted, and marriage functions were subject to permission from district magistrates or officers authorised by them. Also the maximum ceiling at marriage functions was 30 persons in indoor spaces and 50 in open spaces, as per earlier orders.

The order also categorically stated instructions for the felling of trees. It stated: “Tree felling operations of the forest department and the Haryana Forest Development Corporation shall remain operational subject to the condition that they will be allowed only to the extent required for meeting the fuelwood requirements of Municipal Corporations and district administrations.”

The Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, meanwhile inaugurated a 500-bedded Covid-19  care centre, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sanjeevani Hospital in Panipat.

The Union Minister of Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan was also present during the occasion. He informed that Indian Oil Corp Ltd is supplying 15MT of gaseous Oxygen to the GTB Sanjeevani Hospital through a steel pipeline connected to the MEG plant of Panipat refinery free of cost. He said that each of the 500 bed at the temporary facility will be connected to the oxygen supply.

The Union Minister also said that Indian Oil Corp Ltd is providing 50 rooms in nearby hotels to doctors engaged at the Covid care centre in Panipat for 6 months. "Panipat refinery is currently producing 280 MT medical oxygen which was earlier 200MT. Panipat refinery is supplying oxygen to various states. We have imported 200 cryogenic tankers. India is importing 13,000 MT oxygen from the countries like UAE, Oman," he said.