Blaming Capital for 42% of its Coronavirus Cases, Noida Says UP Border with Delhi will Remain Sealed

The Noida-Delhi border will remain sealed for movement of people to and from the national capital, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration said in its latest guidelines for the COVID-19 lockdown issued on Sunday.

The decision has been taken as the source of infection in 42 per cent of coronavirus cases detected in the district in the last 20 days has been tracked to Delhi, the guidelines said.

The district administration had on April 21 banned movement of people between Noida and Delhi.

The inter-state travel ban exempts ambulances, doctors, goods carriers, media, those directly involved in COVID-19 services and those with passes issued by the administration.

In an order, the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration said that previous directions issued in the district as per the state guidelines will remain in place. In urban areas, 50% of the shops will open every alternate day.

In residential societies, if one tower reports cases, it will become a containment. However, if multiple towers report cases, they will be converted to containment zones, along with the common facilities like parks, gyms and pools.

The Gautam Budhh Nagar district administration's order also instructed commercial and office spaces to disinfect their premises in the event that any cases are reported. also said that industrial activities could be carried out outside of containment zones.

The Uttar Pradesh government allowed interstate travel but restrictions on movement of people into Ghaziabad and Noida from the adjacent national capital continue for now.

In guidelines on the next phase of the lockdown, which begins Monday and will last till June 30, the state government had left it to Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad administrations to take a call on relaxing restrictions travellers from New Delhi.

Ghaziabad authorities said the previous restrictions will continue till they come up with fresh instructions.

Both districts allow movement related to essential services and for people with valid passes through their 'sealed' borders. But the restrictions meant to contain coronavirus cause problems for people who commute to work across the border.

Largely following the Centre's guidelines issued a day earlier, the state government has allowed the opening of religious places, malls and educational institutes in a phased manner from June 8 onwards.

On travel, the order issued by Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary R K Tiwari said, "There is no ban on interstate and intra-state movement by persons or goods."

But at the same time, it said there will be a ban on the movement of people from the containment areas in Delhi to the NCR areas of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad.

(With inputs from PTI)