Lucknow, Jul 10 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government which has announced fresh restrictions for a 55-hour period beginning Friday night, directed officials to take extra precautions in government offices, where Covid-19 cases are on the rise.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to take additional care to avoid contracting the virus.

Chief Secretary R.K. Tiwari has also issued an order, saying that 50 per cent of employees of Groups C and D should be allowed to work from home on any given day.

All officials of Groups A and B, however, are required to attend office.

Tiwari said that those employees who are working from home should remain connected to office via their phones or other electronic devices. If required, they can be asked to come to office.

The rule will not be applicable to those employees connected to emergency and necessary services and those who are playing a role in corona management. They will be required to work as per their existing schedules or that which will be set by their department heads.

The Chief Secretary said that a similar protocol can be followed by subordinate offices, local bodies and corporations.

He said that the corona infection is spreading partly due to carelessness and all those officials who have to travel as part of their duties, whether within the city or outside, should take special care.

Employees coming to work will undergo thermal scanning while sanitizers will be made available in offices. All offices will be sanitized and if a positive case is identified in any particular office, then it will be shut for 24 hours for sanitization.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avanish Awasthi, said "The Chief Minister has directed that all officials should follow the necessary protocols of wearing masks, social distancing, sanitization. They should take special care while travelling to protect themselves from the infection."

Teams of medical experts are being sent to Kanpur, Jhansi and Varanasi to check the spread of the virus in these districts.

Yogi has said that beds in all Covid hospitals should be increased, especially in districts where the spread of the virus was higher.

In recent weeks, corona cases have been reported from the 112-emergency helpline centre, state information department and some other government offices, leading to their partial closure.