Ranchi, Aug 26 (IANS): Jharkhand Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon has said that hotels and malls should be reopened in the state.

"Hotels should be reopened in the state. In many states hotels have been reopened. The economic activities are resuming. Where will those people who are coming from outside the state for economic reasons stay? There is no place for them to stay. The state government should formulate a protocol and reopen the hotels," said Oraon, who is also state Congress president. He also advocated for reopening of malls in the state.

The state government has not allowed reopening of malls, cinema halls, hotels, and religious places due to rising coronavirus cases.

In Jharkhand more than 32,000 coronavirus cases have been detected so far as the deadly virus has claimed 352 lives in the state. Till now, three ministers, six legislators and two former ministers have been found positive.

The national recovery rate is 75.27 per cent and in Jharkhand it is 67.60 per cent while the mortality rate in country is 1.85 per cent and in Jharkhand it is 1.07 per cent.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren have undergone corona tests thrice, but they have tested negative. But Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) president Shibu Soren, the father of the Chief Minister, and his wife Rupi Soren have been found coronavirus positive.

Shibu Soren was on Tuesday shifted to New Delhi for treatment. On Wednesday he was admitted at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.