COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were eased in Varanasi on Monday and small crowds were seen in the marketplaces of the city.
Monu Yadav a tea seller said, " I have opened my shop after 40 days. Only 10-15 per cent of my customers are coming here. I am glad to open the shop. I was in a lot of tension for the last 40 days for not being able to take care of my family."
"I am very careful about properly following the COVID-19 protocols. I wear a mask and advise customers to wear them properly. Now I have to work harder to get life back on track," he added.
Kaushal Kumar Singh another local said, " From the newspaper, I got to know that Varanasi eased its curfew from 7 am to 7 pm. Today we got an opportunity to walk around and to have jalebi-kachori. We're following COVID appropriate behaviour."
"People are also following COVID protocols. The shopkeepers are happy," he added.
According to the Union Health Ministry, Uttar Pradesh has 17,944 active COVID-19 cases. The total number of recoveries has reached 16,59,209 and fatalities have mounted to 21,236.
( With inputs from ANI )
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