In view of the rising coronavirus cases, Assam State Disaster Management Authority on April 27 announced night curfew in the state. The order has been imposed with immediate effect till May 1.
The night curfew in the state will start at 8 pm every day and will remain in force till 5 am as part of its efforts to control the surge in COVID-19 cases. There shall be total total ban on movement of individuals during the curfew time.
"The situation of COVID-19 in Assam has been reviewed and it has been observed that there has been a rapid increase in the number of active cases of COVID- 19 across the State and therefore it is felt that night curfew needs to be imposed in an the districts of Assam, except for essential and emergency activities/services, as an emergency measure for well being and safety of the people,” the order signed by Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua said.
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The state government has also ordered all markets and shops to shut down by 6 pm, and face mask has been made mandatory for everyone, including a person driving a vehicle.
Night curfew imposed in Assam from 8 pm to 5 am, the order comes into immediate effect and will remain in place till May 1st. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/NawUPxHRBVRelated stories
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2021
Here's the list of what's allowed in the state:
All private medical personnel such as doctors, nursing staff, paramedical staff etc. and other hospital services (such as hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and other medical & health services)
There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement/transportation of essential/non-essential goods. No separate permission / e-pass will be required for such movements.
Movement of persons related to commercial and private establishments providing following essential services/commodities shall be allowed.
Shops dealing with food groceries, fruits, vegetables, dairy & milk booths meat & fish, animal fodder, pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical equipment.
Banks, Insurance offices and ATMs.
Telecommunications, Internet services Broadcasting and Cable services IT and IT-enabled services.
Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce.
Petrol pumps, LPG, CNG petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets.
Manufacturing units of essential commodities.
With shortage of oxygen faced by many states, Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on April 26 said that there is no shortage of oxygen in Assam, but still the state government has decided to stop supply of the life-saving gas to industries.
After interacting with representatives of oxygen plants of the state, Patowary also asked them to ramp up production and enhance the capacity to be future-ready for any emergency situation.
Assam's COVID-19 tally jumped to 2,40,670 as 3,137 more people tested positive for the virus while 15 new fatalities pushed the coronavirus death toll to 1,215 on Monday. Of the new cases, Kamrup Metropolitan district reported 1,153 cases, Dibrugarh (268), Kamrup Rural district (255) and Darrang (127).
The 15 new COVID-19 fatalities were reported from Kamrup Metropolitan (8), Dibrugarh (3), Barpeta (2) and one death each from Kamrup Rural and Goalpara districts. Assam currently has 17,764 active COVID-19 cases. During the day 828 patients recovered from the disease, taking the total number of COVID-19 recoveries to 2,20,344.
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(With inputs from PTI)
