Assam announces ‘strictest’ 2-week Guwahati lockdown
In what has triggered a panic buying in the capital city of Guwahati, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced total lockdown in Guwahati from Monday for next two weeks while asserting that they had no option but to go for this “strictest” lockdown to check the sharp surge of coronavirus patients indicating a trend towards social transmission of pandemic in the city.
The minister who earlier adopted policy of “ruthless quarantine” to check the social transmission of pandemic from those migrants returning to the state told reporters that next week, only pharmacies and hospitals will be allowed to open in the city.
In what has triggered a panic buying in the capital city of Guwahati, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced total lockdown in Guwahati from Monday for next two weeks while asserting that they had no option but to go for this “strictest” lockdown to check the sharp surge of coronavirus patients indicating a trend towards social transmission of pandemic in the city.
The minister, who earlier adopted a policy of “ruthless quarantine” to check the social transmission of pandemic from those migrants returning to the state, told reporters that next week, only pharmacies and hospitals will be allowed to open in the city. “Please finish your shopping by Sunday,” said the health minister.
In what has come a shocker for the business establishments also, the minister reiterated, “We are going to ask police to enforce a total lockdown in Kamrup (Metro) district for two weeks from Sunday midnight. For the first seven days, only pharmacies and hospitals will be open. Everything else will be shut.”
He said that a 12-hour
night curfew from 7 pm to 7 am will be observed all over the state from Friday itself for the next two weeks. The capital city has recorded over 700 new infections since June 15, which prompted the state to take the decision of lockdown, the minister said while adding that of 276 fresh infections reported in the state on Thursday, 133 were from Guwahati.
Contrary to what he claimed earlier that social distancing norm was religiously followed in the state, Mr Sarma said that people in capital city are not following the social distancing norms besides not wearing the mask.
“There are a large number of people who may have coronavirus infection but not coming forward for test. If they will remain confined to home, there is every possibility that youngsters may recovered from the infection on its own,” said the minister while justifying the lockdown when central government has started the process of unlocking the nation.
The state will also enforce a “complete lockdown” in other towns and municipal areas on weekends from Saturday every week; only emergency services will be allowed, the minister said.
In Guwahati, banks will be allowed to open with limited staffs and for a limited duration. Air or rail tickets can be used as passes for travellers, Mr Sarma said, adding that he would review the situation next Friday to consider relaxations.
“We are now left with no choice but to impose a complete lockdown. This was the only solution to break the chain of transmission,” the minister said, indicating that this may be the strictest lockdown the city has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
It is significant that even during the strictest lockdowns that started in India in March, the shops selling groceries or other stores selling essentials were not shut.