DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Haryana government on Sunday extended the lockdown clamped in the state to curb the spread of the coronavirus by another week till June 14, while easing several restrictions that were in place earlier. While further relaxations regarding opening of shops and shopping malls have been given, religious places have also been allowed to open with 21 people at a time, corporate offices have been permitted to open with 50 per cent attendance while adhering to the social-distancing norms and gatherings of up to 21 people have been allowed at weddings, funerals and cremations. Restaurants and bars, including in hotels and malls, are allowed to open from 10 am to 8 pm with 50 per cent seating capacity. Home delivery from hotels, restaurants and fast food joints will be permitted till 10 pm. Shops other than the stand-alone ones are allowed to open from 9 am to 6 pm (earlier, it was from 9 am to 3 pm) following the odd-even policy -- those with odd numbers will open on odd dates and those with even numbers on even dates. Malls, which were last week allowed to open from 10 am to 6 pm, can now remain open till 8 pm. The state government has termed the lockdown "Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana (Epidemic Alert-Safe Haryana)". "Now, after duly considering the fact that although the Covid positivity rate and the number of new Covid positive cases have declined, so as to continue the preventive and precautionary measures to contain the Covid pandemic, the government has decided to extend the 'Mahamari Alert-Surakshit Haryana' from June 7 (5 am onwards) to June 14 (till 5 am) in the state...," an order issued by Chief Secretary Vijai Vardhan said. The number of daily COVID-19 cases, which had crossed the 15,000-mark last month, has now come down to under 1,000. The Haryana government had imposed the lockdown in the state on May 3 in view of the prevailing Covid situation. It has now been extended for the fifth time. Religious places are now allowed to open with 21 people at a time with the condition that they will follow the requisite social-distancing norms and Covid-appropriate behavioural norms, and carry out regular sanitisation of the premises. Corporate offices are permitted to open with 50 per cent attendance after adopting the social-distancing norms, Covid-appropriate behavioural norms and carrying out regular sanitisation, the order issued by Vardhan in exercise of powers under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 said. Gatherings of 21 people are allowed at weddings, funerals and cremations. Weddings can now take place at places other than homes and courts. No movement of the "barat" procession, however, will be allowed. Under the lockdown imposed in the state last month, marriages were allowed only at home and in courts with a maximum limit of 11 people. For gatherings other than weddings, funerals and cremations, the maximum number of people allowed is 50. For gatherings of more than 50 people, prior permission from the deputy commissioner concerned shall be required. Club houses, restaurants and bars at golf courses are allowed to open with 50 per cent seating capacity from 10 am to 8 pm while adhering to the requisite social-distancing and other safety norms. Members and visitors shall be allowed to play on the golf courses by the management in a staggered manner so as to avoid overcrowding. (editor@dailyworld.in)