The Jharkhand government ordered extension of lockdown related restrictions in containment zones across the state till September 30 but permitted all economic activities, unless specifically prohibited.

“All economic activities, not specifically prohibited, shall be permitted outside the containment zones,” said the order, signed by state’s chief secretary Sukhdev Singh and issued by disaster management division of home, prison and disaster management department on Friday evening.

Following this, such establishments as hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and saloons either opened or were preparing to open on Saturday.

The government, however, did not permit social, political, sports and entertainment events or gatherings, large congregations and fairs.

All educational institutions and coaching centres would also continue to remain closed as would be cinema halls, swimming pools, gymnasiums, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums and assembly halls.

Religious places would also continue to be closed, except those having clearance in view of a recent Supreme Court order.

The government also allowed intra-state bus service but prohibited inter-state transport by bus. “We have issued a standard operating procedure for intra-state bus service today,” transport secretary R. Ravi Kumar said on Saturday.

The SOP said that such buses would ply with passengers half the capacity and maintain detailed records of the passengers, besides following safety norms.

“There is no restrictions but those entering or returning to Jharkhand will have to be in quarantine for two weeks,” he replied when asked about inter-state movement by private vehicles.

Though chief minister Hemant Soren wrote a letter to Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Thursday requesting the latter to consider postponing JEE-NEET examinations “in public interest”, the government appeared to be lenient on facilitating movement of the examinees if those are held in September as scheduled.

Though not specifically mentioned about any particular examination, the guidelines issued along with the order lifted restrictions of examinees even if they belong to containment zones, with instruction to treat their admit cards as passes.

This would be valid for such examinees from outside the state who may have opted for appearing at an examination from a centre in Jharkhand, the guidelines added.