New Delhi:

All offices and shops in Haryana will remain shut on weekends in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, state Health Minister Anil Vij said today. The state, which shares its border with Delhi, has logged over 50,000 cases of coronavirus and 578 deaths.

“All offices and shops except essential will remain closed in Haryana on every Saturday and Sunday due to COVID-19,” Home Minister Anil Vij tweeted. Haryana had, on Thursday, registered its highest single-day spike of 996 coronavirus cases.

Restrictions on the movement of people and traffic are not likely, sources have told NDTV.

The move comes a day after Punjab announced daily night curfews and weekend lockdown in all 167 cities and towns in the state, starting today, as part of a strict response to the worrying surge in coronavirus cases.

The restrictions in Punjab will be in place until August 31 and includes restrictions on public and private transport, a ban on public gatherings (except for weddings and funerals) and closing of 50 per cent of shops selling non-essential goods in the five worst-affected districts.

India, the third worst-affected country in the world by the coronavirus pandemic after US and Brazil, today surpassed 29 lakh cases of the deadly coronavirus with a single-day jump of 68,898 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry said this morning. Even as the number of cases continue to rise in the country, some 21 lakh people have recovered across the country, the ministry said.

According to the World Health Organisation, India has been reporting the highest number of daily COVID-19 cases for the last 17 days, but the fatality rate has reduced to 1.89 per cent, according to the official figures.