Key points:
- Authorities have instituted a night curfew in many districts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
- The government has agreed to close schools until December 31, up to Class 8 in Madhya Pradesh.
- A night curfew in Surat, Rajkot, as well as Vadodara from Saturday between 9 pm to 6, am has also been announced by the government.
- In Rajasthan, in the eight most affected districts, the government has levied a night curfew and a Rs 500 fine on those not wearing masks.
- On Saturday, the state announced an 8.8 per cent rise in cases of Covid-19, which brought the overall number of infections around 240,676 in Rajasthan.
Several states have agreed to place a curfew in districts during the night, seeing an increase in coronavirus disease cases (Covid-19), among many other steps to contain the spread of the infection.
Authorities have instituted a night curfew in many districts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Under the orders of the Union Home Ministry, states can not enforce a full lockdown without their permission.
In these states, below are the specifics of the night curfews in place:
Madhya Pradesh:
From Saturday, as the state registered 1,500 cases on Friday, the highest for the state in the past 40 days, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced to enforce night curfew in five districts, including Covid-19 hotspots of Indore, Bhopal, as well as Gwalior.
The government has agreed to close schools until December 31, up to Class 8. From 10 pm to 6 am the night curfew will be observed in Saturday’s five worst-affected districts of Vidisha, Indore, Bhopal, Ratlam, and Gwalior.
The night curfew would not extend to persons involved in critical utilities, transportation of goods, and factory night shifts.
District administrations were also requested to ensure that Covid-19 guidelines were followed and individuals were also asked to use a mask as well as a sanitizer.
The positivity rate in Madhya Pradesh on Friday increased to 4.8 per cent from that on November 5, which was approximately one percentage point greater than the national average, official statistics show.
Most of the cases of Covid-19 were recorded from Bhopal and Indore, which witnessed Covid-19’s first wave in May and June, said a health department official who is aware of the details.
Gujarat:
In the midst of surging coronavirus disease cases, which are identified as the third wave of infections, the authorities have enforced a 57-hour shutdown in Ahmedabad.
A night curfew in Surat, Rajkot, as well as Vadodara from Saturday between 9 pm to 6, am has also been announced by the government. In Ahmedabad, a night curfew has already been declared from 9 pm next Monday.
In addition to the curfew, the state government also postponed its the decision to open schools as well as colleges again on November 23. The Gujarat Public Services Commission (GPSC) also postponed medical teacher recruitment tests, which were scheduled to start on November 22, official statements stated.
The decision to enforce a night curfew was made after 1,340 cases were registered by the state, the largest rise in infections in 47 days. Gujarat reported 1,420 Covid-19 instances in the 24 hours to Friday, bringing the state tally to 194,402.
According to the health bulletin released by the state government on Friday, it also reported seven new fatalities due to the virus, with the death toll now at 3,837.
Rajasthan:
In Rajasthan, in the eight most affected districts, the government has levied a night curfew and a Rs 500 fine on those not wearing masks. In the urban areas of Kota, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Alwar as well as Bhilwara, markets, restaurants, shopping malls as well as other commercial establishments will be open until 7 pm.
From 8 pm to 6 am the nighttime curfew will remain in place in the urban areas of these districts. Those attending a wedding ceremony, individuals affiliated with vital services, and those riding on buses, trains, and aircraft will be exempted during the time.
The presence of staff in government, as well as private institutions with more than 100 employees in those districts, shall not exceed 75 per cent. The state government’s staff would be called on a rotational basis.
On Saturday, with 3,007 people testing positive, Rajasthan reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases on a particular day. On Saturday, the state announced an 8.8 per cent rise in cases of Covid-19, which brought the overall number of infections around 240,676.
