The Sikkim government on Sunday extended the fortnight-long lockdown in the state by another seven days till June 7, though with some more relaxations for certain sectors, in view of the continuing threat posed by the novel coronavirus

While extending the lockdown that was to have ended on Monday morning, a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister P. S. Tamang (Golay) decided to extend the business hours for shops selling essential commodities from 7am till noon as against the present 8am to 11am window.

Intra-state and inter-state transport of essential commodities will also be allowed in the third phase of the lockdown that was necessitated by the second wave of the pandemic which has infected and killed more people than in the first phase last year.

“Construction work, both government and private, will also be allowed, but with only local workers,” said an official source.

Liquor shops, which have been closed since the start of the latest rounds of lockdown on May 17, will remain open from 7am till noon.

Social gatherings and functions, however, remain strictly prohibited.

Sikkim logged 264 infections on Sunday, taking the overall caseload to 15,171. With 130 new recoveries, the total number of cured patients reached 10,746. The death toll touched the 250 mark with three fatalities in the past 24 hours.

According to a release issued by the state labour department, the meeting also directed pharmaceutical companies to provide Rs 2 lakh each as ex-gratia to the families of workers who die of Covid-19.

The pharmaceutical companies have been exempted from the purview of the lockdown. Over 50 medicine companies, including big players like Cipla, Sun Pharma and Zydus Cadila, operate in the state and they employ about 20,000 workers. The companies were asked to pay full wages to Covid-positive workers and their primary contacts who fail to report for duty.