GUWAHATI: The deteriorating Covid-19 situation has forced the Assam government to increase the number of districts under complete lockdown from three to seven within a span of 10 days.
From 5am on Wednesday, Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Morigaon districts will be completely locked down, except for shops selling groceries, fruits, vegetables, dairy, milk and animal fodder which have been allowed to remain open till 5 pm.
Among these seven districts, Goalpara, Biswanath, Marigaon and Bokakhat subdivision of Golaghat district have been under complete lockdown since June 26. "The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory on implementation of targeted and prompt actions for Covid-19 management. After reviewing the situation in the state we have observed that, though few districts like Dhubri, Kamrup(M), South Salmara, Majuli, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Charaideo and Hailakandi have shown improvement in the positivity rate, the number of active cases and positivity rate is still high in some districts like Goalpara, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Biswanath and Morigaon," health minister Keshab Mahanta said.
In 16 other districts showing moderate test positivity rates, curfew will be clamped from 2 pm to 5 am. Among these three districts, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar, where an upward trend of positive cases has been observed, will be under close watch.
11 dists to get more relaxations
In the remaining 11 districts, including Kamrup (metro), where the caseload has been found to have improved in the last 10 days, will have more relaxation in terms of a shorter curfew period of 12 hours from 5 pm.
But education institutions, religious places, weekly haats and bazaars across the state will remain closed and public gatherings, either in open or in closed spaces, will not be allowed. Inter-district movement of people, except those transporting essential goods, will also remain suspended.
Announcing the new SoP, the minister said, “Because of the complete lockdown, the caseload of Goalpara has decreased in the last 10 days. We want to continue with this downward trend and that is why the lockdown is being continued in the district.”
In the last 10 days, Golaghat district logged the highest rise of 2,711 positive cases followed by 1,795 cases in Sonitpur district, 1,583 cases in Jorhat district, 1,310 cases in Lakhimpur district, 1,175 cases in Biswanath district, 915 cases in Morigaon district and a low of 645 cases in Goalpara district.
While Goalpara district recorded an average test positivity rate of 1.79 in the last 10 days, Golaghat district’s average test positivity rate was 5.64.
