The Manipur Cabinet on Monday decided to relax the indefinite curfew and lockdown only in rural areas with effect from Tuesday. However, both the restrictions shall continue in urban areas until further orders. Chief Minister N. Biren said that Manipur is now free of COVID-19. The Cabinet meeting lasted three hours.
The police, meanwhile, continue to detain curfew violators, and Magistrates are imposing fines adding up to over ₹50,000 daily.
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A 23-year-old girl student and a 63-year-old man had tested positive for the coronavirus in the State. A joint team of doctors from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and the J.N. Institute of Medical Sciences treated them. Both tested negative, are in self-quarantine at home, and officials expect them to be free of strictures soon.
Mr. Biren said full credit was due to frontline workers — doctors, nurses and paramedics — who work on despite the risks to which they are exposed.
Workers worst hit
The State’s decision to relax restrictions in rural areas could stem from the distress evident there. Daily wage earners, unable to find work or food, are the worst hit.
Daily wagers living in and round Imphal for work are unable to get rice via the public distribution system nor other benefits doled out by the government as their names do not appear in the city voters’ lists. Even those who managed to get some rice said 5 kg of rice is not enough for their entire families.
About half the staff are attending offices on a rotation basis.
Aid for students
Students from Manipur stranded in Delhi were provided food, but many were left out as they could not be served within the stipulated time. Mr. Biren said that ₹2,000 each had been credited to the personal accounts of over 10,000 students, and others would receive government assistance “within hours”.
