Assam Govt Issues Revised SOP, Curfew from 7 PM; Inter-District Public Transport Suspended

The salient features of today's order arc as follows:

1. Night Curfew time will be from 7 PM to 5 AM across the State
2. Accordingly, all workplaces, business/commercial establishments, Dine-in Restaurants, hotels, resorts, Dhabas and other eateries, the takeaway of food items from restaurants/dhabas and other eateries and warehouses, shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder will be open up to 6 PM across the state.
3. Inter-District movement of private vehicles and movement of people will be allowed except to and from Kamrup(Metro) District. Inter-District Public Transport however shall remain open
4. The Physical Classes in respect of Final Year of Graduate/Post-Graduate/Engineering/Medical Colleges, GNM, Nursing courses and that of Aeronautical Engineering College may be allowed to be started with fully vaccinated students
5. Meeting/Gathering at any open or closed spaces is allowed up to 200 Persons in Open spaces(for public function) and up to 50% of the hall capacity or 200 fully vaccinated persons whichever is lower in closed venues
6. Functions related to National/International Days the ceiling will be upto 50% capacity of the hall
7. Public gathering is allowed up to 25 persons for marriage/funeral programme
8. Religious places are allowed to open with up to 20 fully vaccinated persons per hour for iconic places and 10 fully vaccinated persons per hour for other religious places
9. Cinema/Theatre Hall will continue to remain closed.
10. Wearing of Face Mask is compulsory in all public places
11. Excise authority will take strong action against illegal production and sale of country liquor in all the districts
12. Other restrictions including the declaration of containment zones etc and exemptions as notified in the order of August 9, 2021 shall continue to remain in force except those specifically modified by this order

Whereas, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has vide order of August 9, 2021issued directives for containment of COVID-19 in both rural and urban areas across the State until further orders;

Whereas, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) vide order dated 28th July, 2021 has directed the States/ UTs to consider implementation of targeted and prompt actions for COVID-19 management as conveyed vide MoHFW advisory dated 28th June, 2021 until 31st August, 2021;

Whereas, the situation of COVID-19 in the State has been further reviewed and shown improvement in terms of case load and overall positivity rate as well;

Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers, conferred under Section 22(2) (h) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned, in his capacity as Chairperson, State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority, Assam, do hereby issues the following directives for both rural and urban areas which will remain in force w.e.f. 5 AM of August 18, 2021untilfurther orders.

A. Containment Zones:

In case the test positivity of COVID-19 in any area reaches more than 10 cases in the last seven days, the jurisdictional District Magistrate will notify such areas as total containment zones in consultation with MD, NHM and ensure necessary containment measures for COVID-19.

However, in such zones, emergency services will continue round the clock and essential services including shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder, etc. will remain open upto 6 PM.

Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce in such areas will continue round the clock.

B. Restrictions Imposed:

Except for exemptions given in Annexure "A",

Sl No .	Restrictions imposed for all districts	Restriction time for all districts
(1)	(2)	(3)
1	Curfew Time	7 PM - 5 AM
2	Opening of workplace and business/commercial establishments	Up to 6 PM
3	Functioning of Government and Private Offices/Establishments	Up to 6 PM
4	Opening of Shops and commercial establishments	Up to 6 PM
5	Shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder	Up to 6 PM
6	Dine in Restaurants, Dhabas and other eateries (Upto 50% of seating capacity)	Up to 6 PM
7	Takeaway of food items from restaurants, dhabas and other eateries	Up to 6 PM
8	Opening of Sale counters, showrooms etc. of cold storages and warehouses	Up to 6 PM

C. Other Restrictions and Relaxations:

1. All Government servants (including contractual and fixed pay) who have taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine shall attend office. Private sector entities may take their own decision about attendance of their employees on this account.
2. Employees who have not taken vaccine will have to attend office as and when their services are required by respective authorities.
3. Employees engaged in emergency I essential services shall attend their duty without any restrictions at any place.
4. The organizations (Government I Private) rendering Essential/Emergency Services, Law Enforcement Services and Election work will continue working without any restrictions in all districts.
5. Pregnant women empIoyees and women employees with children of 3 years or below working under any Organizations/PSU/Financial Institutions/Private Organizations irrespective of their grade shall be eligible to work from home.
6. Persons With disabilities (PwDs) working in any Government/PSU/ Financial institutional/Private Organizations shall be exempted from attending duties in consonance with the O.M No.11013/9/2014/Estt.(A.lll ) dated 1st April, 2020 issued by DoPT, GOI. However, they may be encouraged to work from home.

D· Public Transport (Government and private)

1. Goods transport shall continue unhindered.
2. All public transport authorities shall enforce COVID-19 appropriate behavior and seating inside the vehicles, carriers, containers etc.
3. Auto Rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis shall operate with one driver and two passengers maintaining social distancing.
4. Pillion riding will be totally prohibited in two wheelers, except with women and children.
5. Intra-district transport, with 50% seating capacity and observance of COVID appropriate behaviour, may be allowed.
6. All inter-district movement of private vehicle and movement of people shall be allowed except to and from Kamrup (Metro) District. Inter-district public transport however shall remain suspended.
7. Wearing of face mask is mandatory even for a single person driving a vehicle. In case of persons traveling in any private car, up to 100% of its seating capacity, wearing of face mask is mandatory for all the persons.

E. Educational Institutions (Government and Private):

1. All Educational Institutions including Schools/Colleges/Universities shall continue to provide quality virtual options.
2. Teachers / Faculty members of such Educational Institutions conducting virtual classes need not attend their respective institution but if District Administration engages in COVID 19 / flood relief related emergency duties, they will have to attend assigned duties.
3. The physical classes in respect of Degree/Post-Graduate final year students of Engineering/Medical Colleges may be allowed to be started with fully vaccinated students.
4. The physical classes of GNM, Nursing courses and that of Aeronautical Engineering College shall also be allowed to be started with fully vaccinated students.

F. Gatherings:

SI No	Restrictions imposed	Details of restriction imposed
(1)	(2)	(3)
1	Name of the district	All districts
2	Meeting/gathering at any open or closed spaces	Allowed up to 200 persons in open spaces(for public function) Allowed in closed venues (excluding private functions e.g. marriage, birthday, anniversary, get together etc.) with prior permission of the Deputy Commissioner up to 50% of the hall capacity or 200 fully vaccinated persons whichever is lower In respect of functions connected with national/international days 50% of hall capacity (fully vaccinated)
3	Marriages/Religious functions	25 persons (fully vaccinated)
4	Religious Places	Allowed up to 20 fully vaccinated persons hour for iconic places and 10 fully vaccinated persons per hour for other religious places. Only fully vaccinated pilgrims to be allowed entry by Management of the religious places.
5	Funeral/last rites	Allowed with not more than 25 persons
6	Hotels/resorts	Upto 6 PM
7	Delivery of essential goods through e-Commerce	Round the clock
8	Weekly Haats / bazaars	Closed
9	Pharmacies, Hospitals, Animal Care Centres and Veterinary clinics	Round the clock
10	Cinema/Theatre Hall	Closed

G. Miscellaneous

1. Wearing of face mask is compulsory in all public places.
2. Shop owners shall ensure minimum six feet distance among customers and shall not allow more than 5 persons inside the shop. In addition, shop owners should compulsorily keep sanitizers and hand wash in their shops.
3. Shopkeepers and customers shall have to wear masks, hand gloves and maintain social distancing. Responsibility of maintenance of social distancing will be on the shop owner and failure to do so will be viewed very seriously and may entail summary closure of defaulting shops.
4. industrial units and Tea gardens may function subject to observance of COVID appropriate behavior. Head of the unit/tea garden shall be responsible for ensuring social distancing, mask wearing by workers and staff, sanitization of industrial premises, thermal scanning etc.
5. Operation of physical activities of Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) including e­ auct1on are allowed with 50% of the total work force till 6 PM including tea tasting, sampling, brokering. Warehousing is fully exempted.
6. Excise authority will continue taking strong action against illegal production and sale of country liquor in all the districts as a COVID containment measure.

Other restrictions including declaration of containment zones etc. as notified vide Order No.ASDMA.28/2021/63 dated 4lh May, 2021 and ASDMA.24/2020/Pt-2/241 dated 12th May 2021 and ASDMA .24/2020/Pt-2/253 dated 15th May 2021 for urban and peripheral areas, exemptions via clarifications issued vide Order No.ASDMA.24/2020/Pt-2/250 dated 13lh May, 2021 shall continue to remain in force except those specifically modified by this order.

Annexure-A

A. Following categories of persons are exempted from the purview of restriction on movement (as notified by jurisdictional DDMA) during curfew hours :

1. All Officials and persons, both government and private involved in emergency services such as Health and Family Welfare and all related medical establishments, Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and emergency services, District Administration, Pay & Account Office, electricity, Water and Sanitation, Public Transport (Air/Railways/Buses) including all incidental services/activities that are essential for smooth functioning of all modes of public transport ( such as handling of cargo, ticketing, air freight station, CFS, ICD etc .), Disaster Management and related services, IMD,CWC, Water Resources Department, PHE, NIC, NCC, Indian Red Cross Society, Postal Department and Municipal services, and all other essential services on production of valid Identity card. The uninterrupted delivery of public services shall be ensured by the concerned departments/agencies.
2. All Judicial officers I officials of courts of Assam on production of valid Identity card.
3. All private medical personnel such as doctors, nursing staff, paramedical staff etc. and other hospital services (such as hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and other medical & health services),
4. Pregnant women and patients for getting medical /health services.
5. Person coming from/going to Airports/Railway stations/ISBTs allowed to travel on production of valid ticket.
6. Officers/officials related to functioning of offices of Diplomats of various countries as well as persons holding any constitutional post on production of valid Identity card.
7. Electronic and print Media on production of valid Identity card.
8. There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement I transportation of essential I non-essential goods. No separate permission I e­ pass will be required for such movements.
9. Movement of persons related to commercial and private establishments providing following essential services/commodities shall be allowed:
1. Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits & vegetables, dairy & milk booths, meat & fish, animal fodder, pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical equipment.
2. Banks, Insurance offices and ATMs.
3. Telecommunications, Internet services, Broadcasting and Cable services, IT and IT enabled services.
4. Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce.
5. Petrol pumps, LPG, CNG, petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets. Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.
6. Cold storage and warehousing services.
7. Private security services.
8. Manufacturing units of essential commodities.
9. Production units or services, which require continuous process.
10. Persons who are going for COVID-19 vaccination.
11. All the officials/persons entrusted with election related works either by Government authorities or by private enterprises or by the authorities of any political party or contesting candidate on production of a valid Identity card/ engagement letter I appointment order / work order.
12. All the employees I persons involved in operations related to forestry under the Environment & Forest department on production of valid Identity card.
13. Organizations involved in humanitarian I philanthropic works such as supply of cooked food to the COVID patients, feeding of stray animals subject to obtaining prior permission from the jurisdictional DC.

B. Following activities are allowed during curfew hours:

1. All Agricultural implement supply and maintenance activities may be allowed.
2. Hotels which are accommodating quarantined persons, medical and emergency staff, air crew may be allowed to operate with skeletal service.
3. Continuous process industries may be allowed to function, subject to workforce staying in the premises without outwards/inwards movement during the curfew timing.
4. Agricultural and Tea Garden activities shall continue with strict observance of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.
5. Activities relating to supply of essential goods from and to FCI establishments shall continue.
6. Hospitals and other related medical establishment including their manufacturing and distribution units both in public and private sector such as dispensaries, chemist and medical equipment shops, laboratories, clinics, nursing homes, ambulances etc. will continue to remain functional. The transportation of all medical personnel, nurses, paramedical staff, other hospital support services be permitted;
7. Private security services shall continue;
8. Manufacturing units of essential commodities shall continue.
9. Railway offices and persons directly linked with operation of passenger and goods trains shall continue to operate.
10. Bank, Insurance Company and other financial institutions are allowed to work with skeletal staff. ATMs shall continue to operate 24x7.
11. Medicine Distributors and C&F can operate round the clock with optimum workforce for maintaining supply chain of medicines.