Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
States step up curbs as Covid-19 cases rage on
Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Puducherry order night curfews, Maha considers extending lockdown
NEW DELHI: Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Puducherry decided on Friday to clamp night curfews and a clutch of other states shut schools in a bid to arrest rising Covid-19 infections as Maharashtra, India’s worst-hit state, is planning to extend its weekend lockdown to blunt its fierce infection surge.
Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that the government could impose a lockdown if the Covid-19 surge didn’t abate. State officials said on condition of anonymity that government was considering extending the weekend lockdown beyond Monday. Maharashtra began its weekend lockdown from 8pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday, and it will continue till the end of April. “We would need a complete lockdown for 15 days to three weeks even though I am not in favour of that immediately. If hospitals are overwhelmed, if there is a shortage of medicines and if the government is unable to cope with the growing number of patients then such a step can be taken,” he told a television channel.
He, however, expressed hope that with curbs in place , the government will be able to tame the surge. Maharashtra reported 58,993 Covid cases on Friday.
Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Puducherry became the latest states to impose night curfews.
The Uttarakhand cabinet announced night curfew in Dehradun and closure of all educational institutions till end of April. Classes will continue online, the government decided. The state posted 748 new cases on Friday even as it hosted the Mahakumbh, which attracts tens of thousands of devotees.
Gujarat’s government decided to clamp night curfew in 20 cities. “Covid-19 cases are rising in Gujarat also. We have imposed a night curfew in 20 cities between 8pm to 6am. We are focusing on testing & vaccination...,” chief minister Vijay Rupani told news agency ANI. The state reported 4,541 cases on Friday.
Puducherry lieutenant governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said night curfew would be in force from 11pm to 5am from Saturday, and religious and social functions will have restricted gathering. Elections in the Union Territory finished on April 6.
Bihar decided to close all educational institutions till April 18 and all business establishments by 7 pm. “All schools, colleges and coaching institutes will remain closed till April 18, but the examinations will be held as per schedule,” said principal secretary, disaster management department and health department, Pratyaya Amrit.
Delhi announced that all schools will remain closed till further orders but online classes will continue. Himachal Pradesh decided to shut all educational institutions till April 21.
Rajasthan extended the night curfew timings in nine areas from 10 pm to 6 am till April 16 to 8 pm to 6 am till April 30.
Manipur shut schools for classes 6 to 8 in public interest, while Assam issued standard operating procedures to celebrate Rongali Bihu, the Assamese New Year festival, which begins next week.