The Arunachal Pradesh government has followed its Assam counterpart in imposing total lockdown in the capital region. Frontier State Chief Minister Pema Khandu on July 4 said the Itanagar Capital Complex would be under lockdown for a week from July 6. Pressure from the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union, which had threatened to impose lockdown on its own if the government did not act, is one of the factors behind the decision.
The capital complex comprises Itanagar, twin town Naharlagun and other urban spaces in close proximity.
“Detailed guidelines and standard operating procedure for compliance will be issued shortly,” Mr. Khandu said.
Officials said the decision was taken in view of the sudden rise in the COVID-19 cases in the capital complex — it reported 81 of the 252 cases.
Mizoram was the first northeastern State to go for complete lockdown in June when the rest of the country had started ‘unlocking’.
Will impose lockdown if cases increase: Arunachal students’ body
But while Mizoram’s lockdown, now eased, was Statewide, Assam chose to impose a 14-day lockdown from June 29 only in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district that includes Guwahati. For urban areas elsewhere in the State, the lockdown was prescribed only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the pandemic scenario in Guwahati would be assessed after a week for a call on the nature of the lockdown. On July 4, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna announced the relaxation of certain activities from July 5. These include opening of grocery shops for five hours till July12.
