Assam Govt bans public gatherings on Eid due to pandemic

Guwahati:The Assam government on Monday announced that no public gatherings will be allowed on the occasion of Eid in view of the COVID 19 pandemic as it released a new standard operating procedure (SOP) and said that five districts in state will remain under total lockdown due to continuous surge in cases.

Assam Health minister Keshav Mahanata said that the not more than five persons will be allowed to offer Namaz at mosques and urged people to celebrate Edi in front of their homes.Eid-ul Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday.

Meanwhile in five districts, where the total containment will remain effective for another week

from 5 am of July 20, include Jorhat, Golaghat, Biswanath, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur.

However, curfew has been relaxed till 1 pm in Morigaon and Goalpara districts.

There is no change in the timing of curfew in Guwahati.

Curfew has been relaxed till 5 pm in the other 26 districts of the state.According to the new SOP released by the Assam government, all air and railway passengers even if they are vaccinated, will have to undergo test for Covid19.

The revised and consolidated directive, issued by the Assam State Disaster Management

Authority (ASDMA) both for both rural and urban areas, will remain in force until further order.

The salient features of today’s order are as follows:

“There will be total containment in 5 districts showing high positivity rate in recent days and

these are Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakitimpur, Sonitpur and Biswanath districts,” the new order issued

on Monday said.

“The curfew in these districts will he for round the clock, however, in the districts showing

moderate positivity rate including Goalpara and Morigaon districts, it will be from 1 pm to 5

am,” the order said.

According to the order, the curfew will remain effective from 5 pm to 5 am in the districts

showing improvement in positivity and caseload including Dhubri, Kamrup (M), South

Salmara, Majuli, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao,

Charaideo, Hailakandi, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Kokrajhar and Barpeta.

The other districts, where curfew will remain effective from 5 pm to 5 am are Nalbari, Baksa,

Bajali, Kamrup, Darrang, Nagaon, Hojai Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Cachar, Karimganj and Karbi

Anglong.

All work places. business/commercial establishments and shops dealing with groceries, fruits

and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder, restaurants, dhabas and other eateries,

sale counters and showrooms of cold storages and warehouses will be closed till further order

in districts showing high positivity rate.There will be a total ban on movement of all public and private transport in the total containment districts.

However, movement of goods shall continue.In other districts, all public transport authorities shall enforce Covid119 appropriate behaviour and seating inside the vehicles, carriers and containers.

All inter-district passenger transport services and movement of people to and from other

districts shall remain suspended, the order said.Wearing a face mask is compulsory in all public places.(UNI)