Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren announced a week-long lockdown in the state from Thursday, April 22, calling the measure "Swastha Suraksha Saptha" and appealed to everyone to cooperate to emerge victorious in the fight against Covid-19, a second wave of which is now wreaking havoc across the nation.

The lockdown will come into force from 6 am on April 22 and will get over at 6am on April 29, he said.

As per an official media release, essential services and actvities related to agriculture and mining are among the few sectors that have been kept out of ambit of the lockdown. All religious places will remain opened, but there will be total bar on entry of devotees.

In a video message, Hemant said, “We have deliberated extensively to balance lives and livelihood and finally decided on these dates. We assure you that all essential services will remain unaffected. As far as offices are concerned, only select entities run by the Union and state government will be allowed to function and rest all will be closed. All religious places will remain open but entry of devotees will be banned.”

Gathering at public places has been prohibited. “Not more than five persons can assembly at any place at any point of time,” said Hemant, adding that details of the impending lockdown would be notified later in the day. He also appealed to the people to follow all prescribed protocols to fight the pandemic.

Hemant said that essential services will remain unaffected while only select establishments of centre and state governments will be allowed to run, details of which will be notified later in the day. “Roughly, agriculture activities, mining, things that are essential for public will remain unaffected. All religious places

Jharkhand has imposed a sort of night curfew with all shops and commercial establishments, barring emergency services, being closed after 8pm till morning and prohibited gathering of more than four persons at a place.

The government has also closed educational institutions, gyms and other public places and prohibited congregation of any kind, apart from strict enforcement of Covid protocols.

The Jharkhand government on Sunday announced postponement of the May 2 state civil services examinations and all other exams in schools, colleges and ITIs with immediate in the wake of mounting Covid-19 cases in the state.

As of now, all educational institutions and anganwadis will remain closed, while social gatherings like weddings would be allowed with only 50 people as opposed to the earlier announced 200.

The active caseload of Covid-19 in Jharkhand crossed the 30,000 mark while the Covid toll jumped above 1,500 on Monday as the state reported 4,290 cases and 46 casualties in the past 24 hours, figures compiled by the National Health Mission (NHM) revealed.