COVID-19 Pandemic: Lockdown starts in Guwahati

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The 14-day total lockdown in the entire jurisdiction of Kamrup (Metropolitan) district started from Sunday evening with an aim to check community transmission of COVID-19.

Even though the lockdown was officially scheduled to be started from the midnight of June 28, the entire Guwahati city wore a deserted look soon after 7 pm on Sunday due to new schedule of curfew. The 12-hour curfew period had been rescheduled from 7 pm to 7 am from Friday evening.

The first seven days of the lockdown in Guwahati will be very strict. Barring medical services, water supply, media services etc, other services will remain closed. All grocery shops, vegetable shops and others won't be allowed to operate. Banks will have to operate with skeleton staff, so will Secretariat and Directorate offices.

No vehicle from other districts of the State will be allowed to come to Guwahati or leave the city. After seven days of the lockdown in Guwahati, the State Government will review the situation, and may announce some relaxations.

During the lockdown only 10% of Bank branches in the districts with skeletal attendance and ATMs shall operate. Highest authority of the Banks shall determine the specific branches and give wide publicity of open bank branches.

Telecommunications, Internet services, broadcasting and cable services, IT and IT-enabled services will continue. However, personnel engaged in these services are allowed to work from home only. Only emergency repair crew would be allowed movement subject to prior permission/ pass from appropriate authority.

People (Inter-State and inter-district movement) holding train/ air tickets to and from Guwahati as well as to Guwahati shall be allowed to move only on production of such tickets at check points.

Hotels which are accommodating quarantined persons, medical and emergency staff, air crew shall operate with skeletal service. Establishments used/ earmarked for quarantine facilities shall operate.

Only identified petrol pumps, gas agencies would be allowed to be operational during the lockdown. LPG agencies shall distribute products at home customers' homes only.  

Also Watch: #NewsMakers: Lawyers During Lockdown With Oineetom Ojah