60-hr curfew imposed in Ahmedabad
GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat government has decided to impose curfew for 60 hours from 9pm on Friday in Ahmedabad in view of the coronavirus situation, forcing people to crowd city markets to buy essentials.
Looking at the increasing infections in Gujarat, especially in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government had on Thursday evening decided to impose night curfew in Ahmedabad from 9pm to 6am.
However, ater the review of the situation late in the night, the 60-hour curfew was announced.
“The situation was reviewed late night ( on Thursday) and it has been now decided that a complete curfew shall be imposed from 9pm on Friday till 6am on Monday in Ahmedabad. Only shops selling milk and medicines shall be permited to open,” said Additional Chief Secretary RK Gupta at a press conference on Friday.
“The night curfew everyday from 9pm to 6am shall continue thereater,” added Gupta.
With corona infections increasing during and ater Diwali celebrations in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government had decided on the night curfew.
The late night decision created panic and rumours among public about another lockdown. Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani said on Friday: “There is no question of a lockdown. The curfew is limited only for two days. The word is ‘ weekend’, which means that the curfew will be on Saturday and Sunday.” Meanwhile, the decision to impose night curfew in Ahmedabad had opposite effect to the one intended. Large crowds were witnessed in markets, defeating the very purpose of avoidance of overcrowding in the city. It made Ahmedabad authorities to order shutdown in many markets.
With the sudden spike in coronavirus cases among students, the Haryana government on Friday ordered closure of all schools — government and private — in the state till Nov.30.
More than 300 students were tested positive in the past fortnight with the reopening of the schools. Schools for Class IX to XII were reopened ater over five months of closure on November 2. However, the government was yet to reopen classes for students from Class I to VIII.
Telangana’s decline in daily coronavirus cases continued in state capital Hyderabad and various districts as 894 new cases took the state’s tally to 2,61,729.
Four more deaths during the last 24 hours pushed the death toll to 1,423.