Lucknow lockdown news: Today's updates

As the Central and state governments allow phase-wise relaxation in curbs to get the life up and running again following over two months of lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19, we bring you the latest updates from your city.
Update at 11.10pm: 17 more Covid-19 cases reported in UP's Muzaffarnagar district, total rises to 120, active cases 70, PTI reports quoting the district magistrate.
Update at 10.03pm: BSP chief Mayawati on Saturday welcomed the announcement of the Centre to open new industries, but said bringing back on track businesses which had shut down during coronavirus lockdown was the need of the hour. She also hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for "failing" to provide skill-based employment to the migrant workers who returned home due to lockdown. (PTI)
Update at 8.29pm: Annual and semester examinations of Lucknow University will be held in July and August. However, it will be subject to any decision taken by the state govt for the prevention of Covid-19. (ANI)
Update at 7.58pm: Preparations for reopening of the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoo have started in Lucknow amid the lockdown in accordance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Centre. (ANI)
Update at 6.28pm: Principal secretary, health, Uttar Pradesh, Amit Mohan Prasad said the number of active cases in the state was 3,927 and the number of those who have recovered and been discharged from hospitals was 5,908. (PTI)
Update at 5.21pm: The number of coronavirus positive cases in Uttar Pradesh crossed the 10,000-mark with 370 fresh cases reported on Saturday even as the number of casualties rose to 268. The number of COVID-19 cases in the state now stands at 10,103 as on Saturday. (PTI)
Update at 4.30pm: Uttar Pradesh medical education minister Suresh Khanna has tested negative for Covid-19 after his samples were taken following a hospital visit, an official attached to him said on Saturday. (PTI)
Update at 3.40pm: Questioning the Rs 20 lakh-crore economic package of the government, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said there was nothing in the package for the poor. (IANS)
* Update at 2.40pm: As government procurement centres remain shut, mustard farmers in Agra region are forced to sell their produce at around Rs 1,000 less than the minimum support price (MSP), which is Rs 4,425 for a quintal. According to the affected farmers, repeated requests to the district administration to remedy the situation have fallen on deaf ears.
* Update at 1.30pm: After two migrant workers were recently diagnosed with malaria in Bareilly, the health department has now decided to test migrants with fever for both Covid-19 and malaria. Bareilly has been reporting an outbreak of malaria for the past two years as 37,482 cases in 2018 and 46,717 cases in 2019 were reported in the district.
* Update at 12.27pm: With a mask strung across her face, a burqa-clad woman can often be seen walking briskly or negotiating her scooty through narrow alleys of Old Lucknow with a small tank strapped on her shoulder and sprinkling machine in her hands.
* Update at 11.30am: Although UP government has allowed religious places to open from June 8, prominent shrines have different plans for unlocking. So, while Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi is opening from June 8, temple managements in Mathura have said that they can't open until they get proper police protection. Some prominent temples in Lucknow, too, will open from June 15.
* Update at 10.30am: Indian Industries Association (IIA) has drafted a mobile survey form to collect data on the requirement of workers by its member companies. The association recently signed an MoU with the UP government to ensure that at least 3 lakh workers were given jobs within the MSME sector in a year.
* Update at 9.30am: The Naya Hanuman Temple in Aliganj will reopen from June 15, instead of June 8.
* The Covid-19 tally of UP recorded highest singleday jump of 502 cases on Friday. The leap took the state’s total to 9,804 with Gautam Budh recording 51 fresh cases, followed by Kanpur (48) and Jaunpur (41). This is for the first time that the state tally has crossed the 500-mark.
* While lockdown hit economic activities across the country, cash registers were ringing for women self-help groups (SHGs) of rural development department which earned around Rs 8 crore just through the sale of face masks, PPE kits and sanitizers in last two months.
* Lucknow malls are set to reopen from Monday after a gap of 85 days but people will only be allowed to shopand-leave with no hanging around for window shopping or fun.
* Two days after a sub-inspector inflicted damage on makeshift vegetable shops and allegedly misbehaved with the traders, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday reached out to help the vendors whose shops were trashed and ordered the suspension of the errant cop.