LOCKDOWN – in Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, Bihar, Kerala, Tamilnadu, Puducherry, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Nagaland, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Sikkim & Himachal Pradesh.

High cases any nationwide lockdown coming ?

Haryana announces full lockdown in state for a week starting tomorrow, May 3.

From May 3, Monday, the entire state of Haryana will be under complete lockdown for seven days," health minister Vij said .

“Residents must stay indoors during the lockdown period. No person shall leave their home or move on foot, in a vehicle, or stand, or roam around in any public place during the lockdown period,” the order stated.

Coronavirus curbs to remain in force in Goa till May 10: CM.

COVID-19-induced restrictions will remain in force in Goa till May 10 during which various commercial establishments will remain closed while political and social gatherings will be banned, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Sunday. Goa, a popular tourist hotspot, had reported an extremely high test positivity rate of over 50 per cent on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, he said the lockdown imposed in Goa on April 29 will be lifted at 6 am on May 3 as announced earlier. “The lockdown in the state will be lifted tomorrow 6 am onwards but the COVID-19 related restrictions will continue to be in force for a week to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled,” Sawant said.

Corona curfew extended in Bhopal till May 10.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday extended ‘corona curfew’ in capital Bhopal till May 10, an official said. The curfew, in force since April 12 with extensions on April 19 and 26, was to end at 6am on Monday, he added. “The corona curfew was extended in Bhopal and Berasia town till 6am on May 10 as per an order by district collector Avinash Lavaniya. Essential services and emergency travel are exempted from the curbs,” the official informed.

https://twitter.com/anilvijminister/status/1388... e


3 मई दिन सोमवार से 7 दिन के लिए सारे हरियाणा में पूर्ण लॉक डाउन घोषित ।

Partial lockdown in Punjab for two weeks, till May 15.

Two days after Punjab CM Amarinder Singh ruled out a lockdown, Punjab on Sunday imposed stricter Covid curbs by shutting down all the shops, except those selling essential items, till May 15.

The shops selling essential items, including chemists, those selling milk, bread, vegetables, dairy, poultry, and mobile repairs shops will be allowed to remain open. There are no curbs on the nursing homes and laboratories, latest guidelines issued by Home Secretary Anurag Aggarwal said.

While the orders did not use the work “lockdown”, but with the shops having to shut down, the state has clearly imposed a partial lockdown.

• The government has appealed to the farmers not to organise protest marches and restrict presence to token numbers at toll plazas, petrol pumps and malls.

• The guidelines also state that all four-wheelers will not be allowed to seat more than 2 passengers.

• No pillion riders on scooters/bikes except those from the same family will be allowed. Vehicles carrying patients to hospitals are exempted, though.

• All educational institutions will remain closed but the teaching and non-teaching staff of government schools to attend duty. Also, all recruitment exams will be postponed.

• All government offices, as well as banks, will work at 50% strength other than those where officials are involved in Covid management, as per the new directives, which also stated that deputy commissioners are authorised to draft services of any official for Covid management and related duties.

• All private offices have been told to work from home only.

• Nobody will be allowed to enter the state by air, rail or road without negative Covid report, not more than 72 hours old, or vaccination certificate of at least one dose, over two weeks old.

• Sabzi mandis will be allowed to open only to wholesalers, who would have to ensure social distancing and all other Covid protocols.

• Villages have been asked to organise thikri pehras to ensure night curfew and weekend curfew orders are complied with.

• Religious places will be closed at 6 pm every day and there must be no overcrowding.

• No gathering of more than 10 people, including for weddings, cremations and funerals, will be allowed. Villages will hold vigil to ensure orders related to night and weekend curfews are complied with.

• The government has also decided that it will mandatorily conduct RT-PCR test of rerhiwallas and vendors.

• With a ban on social, cultural, sports and other gatherings already in place, there will also be a complete ban on government functions, such as inaugurations, foundation stone laying ceremonies unless permission of the deputy commissioner has been obtained.

Punjab has already imposed night and weekend curfew in the state. The curfew starts at 6 pm and ends at till 5 am. There is a complete lockdown on Saturday and Sundays and only shops selling essential items are allowed to open.

Urge Centre, states to seriously consider lockdown to curb spread of Covid: Supreme Court.

A bench of the Supreme Court on Sunday asked central and state governments to ‘seriously consider’ a lockdown to break the chain of Covid transmission while making special arrangements for vulnerable sections of society.

HIGHLIGHTS

• SC directed Centre, states to put on record efforts taken to curb spread of virus

• Consider banning mass gatherings, super spreader events: SC to Centre, states.

• We are cognizant of the socio-economic impact of a lockdown, the SC said in its order.

The Supreme Court of India on Sunday advised the central and state governments to consider a lockdown to break the chain of Covid transmission. The country’s top court passed an order in this regard after hearing from officials over measures being taken to counter the second wave of the pandemic.

“In light of the continuing surge of infections in the second wave of the pandemic, we direct the Central Government and State Governments to put on record the efforts taken to curb the spread of the virus and the measures that they plan on taking in the near future,” said the Supreme Court.

The order went on to say, “At the same time, we would seriously urge the Central and State Governments to consider imposing a ban on mass gatherings and super spreader events. They may also consider imposing a lockdown to curb the virus in the second wave in the interest of public welfare.”

India’s Apex Court also said that arrangements must be made to protect vulnerable sections during a lockdown.

“We are cognizant of the socio-economic impact of a lockdown, specifically, on the marginalized communities. Thus, in case the measure of a lockdown is imposed, arrangements must be made beforehand to cater to the needs of these communities,” said the Supreme Court order.

Uttar Pradesh extends lockdown till May 6.

The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the coronavirus-induced curfew in the entire state by two more days. As per the latest order, the restrictions will remain in place in all 75 districts till May 6 morning. The restrictions were slated to be lifted on Tuesday (May 4) morning. This is the second extension of lockdown-like curfew in the country’s most populous state.

During this period, all essential services will be allowed and vaccination drive will continue.

Uttar Pradesh is witnessing a spurt in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. Currently, the state has more than three lakh active cases.

Karnataka Lockdown: State Relaxes Rules; Grocery Shops, Milk Booths Can Stay Open For Long Hours.

The fresh order from the Karnataka government comes in the wake of concerns that people were stepping out in large numbers between 6 AM and 10 AM for essential shopping.

Looking at the huge crowd gathering, the Karnataka government modified its lockdown rules to allow Hopcoms, milk booths, and sale of fruits and vegetables on pushcarts from 6 AM to 6 PM. Moreover, the Karnataka government also allowed APMCs and grocery shops to be open from 6 AM to 12 PM. Earlier, these activities were allowed only from 6 AM to 10 AM.

As per the latest order, pushcarts selling fruits and vegetables must not overcharge and stick to the market price of the commodities while following Covid-19 protocols.

Notably, the Karnataka government has announced a two-week lockdown or ‘close down’ on April 26, which will be in force till 6 AM on May 12.

On the other hand, Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday said there is no proposal to further extend the lockdown or impose more lockdowns in the state anytime soon, though he admitted that at least three to four weeks of strict measures were required to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

Andhra Pradesh announces partial lockdown from Wednesday, May 5 – 19 May

Shops to open only from 6 AM – 12 PM , Essential service to stay unaffected.

Following a steep rise in Covid-19 cases, Andhra Pradesh has decided to impose a partial lockdown from May 5 (Wednesday) across the state for two weeks. The decision was taken by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at a review meeting today at the camp office in Amaravati.

Shops will be open only from 6 am-12 pm. Essential services will remain unaffected. Andhra Pradesh reported 23,920 Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest single-day surge since the beginning of the pandemic.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 would be in force during the relaxation period and congregations of not more than five members would be allowed. After noon, people would be allowed to come out only for emergency services, which are exempted from curfew.

7-day lockdown announced in Chandigarh from 5 pm on May 4 (Tuesday) to 5 am on May 11.

Chandigarh: The city administration on Monday announced the imposition of daytime COVID-19 curbs in the union territory starting 5 pm on May 4 (Tuesday) and will continue till 5 am on May 11 (Tuesday).

Till now, orders for night and weekend curfew were issued in Chandigarh but the restrictions failed to control the spread.

In wake of an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases, a 7-day complete lockdown has been announced in Chandigarh on the lines of Haryana and Punjab. On Monday, Administrator VP Singh Badnaur took this decision after a COVID War Room meeting at Punjab Raj Bhavan.

What will be open and what will be closed?

According to the new order, all government banks and offices in Chandigarh will operate with 50% capacity. Apart from this, all the private offices have been asked to ensure that their workers work from home for some time. As a rule, public transport will not be closed in lockdown, and all buses can run with 50% capacity. However, there will be a complete ban on cinema halls, gyms, spas, bars, swimming pools and coaching centres.

Home delivery of food will continue.

The home delivery of food will continue during the lockdown. There will be no restriction on this. Apart from this, all shops of non-essential items such as mobile market, textile market, computer market will remain closed. Also, no social, cultural, political and religious programs will be allowed in these 7 days.

These restrictions were still in force.

Till now, orders for night and weekend curfew were issued in Chandigarh. While the curfew remains in the city daily from 6 pm to 5 am in the morning the next day. Apart from this, the administration announced a weekend curfew every 5 am on Saturday till 5 am Monday. But these restrictions could not curb the surge in cases, so the administration has used its last option to control the virus and announced a lockdown in the entire city.

Enforce lockdown or we will, Patna HC tells Bihar govt

The Patna HC on Monday came down heavily on the Nitish Kumar government for failing to control the Covid situation in Bihar and also commented that “everything is an eyewash”

A division bench of Justices Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Mohit Kumar Shah asked advocate general Lalit Kishore to talk to the CM as a complete lockdown is urgently needed. The bench said that the state government must either declare a lockdown or it will have to pass an appropriate order. It directed Kishore to inform the court about the government’s decision on Tuesday. “There is no action plan with you. Whatever plan you have submitted, it’s not up to the mark and no effective steps have been taken,” the bench observed.

“Everything is an eyewash. You said two pressureswing absorption plants for oxygen generation are working, but report says they are not. Despite repeated orders, you are not doing anything,” the court commented, observing that there is no advisory committee of experts with the state government yet even after it ordered to form one.

Tamil Nadu announces new Covid-19 restrictions including closure of grocery shops by noon.

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday night announced new Covid-19 restrictions which will be in force between 4am of May 6 and 4am of May 20. All government and private offices will be allowed to function with a maximum of 50% workforce.

“Considering the recommendations of the home and health ministries of the Union government to prevent the Covid spread and to intensify the preventive measures, the new restrictions are imposed in terms of unavoidable reasons,” an official release said.

Only 50% seating capacity will be permitted in passenger trains, metro trains, private and government buses and rental taxis.

Standalone grocery and vegetable shops will be allowed to function without air conditioning till noon. Only 50% customers could be allowed at a time and all other shops are disallowed. “Essential services like pharmacies and milk supply will be permitted as usual,” the release said.

The government had already prohibited big format shops, shopping complexes and malls from April 26 onwards.

Takeaway service is alone permitted in restaurants/hotels/mess. Teashops will be allowed till noon while door delivery of food alone is permitted at hotels and lodges.

All social/political/sports/entertainment/education/cultural events are prohibited in closed and open spaces.

Cinema theatres will not function.

The government had earlier given a ceiling of 25 people for wedding-related gathering and funeral. It has now decided to permit only a maximum of 20 people.

“Beauty parlors and spas have already been prohibited in corporations and municipalities. Now, they will not be allowed in containment zones of the rural areas,” the release said.

The previous restrictions during night curfew and Sunday lockdown would continue.

As ordered earlier, fish markets, chicken and meat stalls will not be allowed on Saturdays (and Sundays due to Sunday lockdown). They will be allowed rest of the week between 6am and noon.

Fauci’s advice to India: Clamp nationwide lockdown, go for massive vaccination drive.

However, getting someone “vaccinated now” does not solve today’s problem, he noted.

Expressing concern over surging coronavirus cases in India, America’s top public health expert and White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr Anthony Fauci on Monday recommended a nationwide lockdown, massive vaccination drive and the construction of a large number of makeshift hospitals.

‘It is quite obvious to everyone that the situation in India is extremely serious,’ Dr Fauci, who is considered one of the world’s top infectious disease specialists said

“When you have so many people getting infected…the lack of the capability to take adequate care of everyone; when you have shortages of hospital beds and oxygen and shortages of supplies, that really becomes a very desperate situation. Which is the reason why we feel it’s important for the rest of the world to help out, to the extent they can," Dr Fauci said.

Keeping a close tab on developments in India, given that US President Joe Biden has geared up the administration to help India, The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said there are certain things that India can do immediately, mid-term and long-term basis.

“First of all right now, they should start getting as many people vaccinated as they possibly can, with both the vaccines that they develop themselves in India as well as supplies of vaccines that they may be able to procure from other suppliers, be that the United States, be that Russia… whatever country is willing whenever companies are willing to supply vaccine," Dr Fauci said.

However, getting someone “vaccinated now” does not solve today’s problem, he noted, adding that it helps prevent a problem several weeks from now.

“But the solution immediately right now is, and I know India is already doing it, so I’m not telling you something that you are not already doing. A few days ago, I recommended and I believe at least parts of India are doing it, that you shut down the country in lockdown,” he said.

“Because other countries, including for example what China did last year, what Australia did when they had an outbreak, what New Zealand did, what other countries did is to completely lock down for a relatively limited period of time. You don’t have to lock down for six months. You can lock down for a few weeks.

Because when you walk down, it is well known, with the experience of other countries that locking down, definitely interferes with the dynamics of the viral outbreak and you could interfere with the continuity and the transmission of infection," Dr Fauci said.

He also recommended taking the help of the armed forces to immediately build makeshift field hospitals.

“You will recall, last year when China had a very serious problem, they marshalled their resources to very, very rapidly build new hospitals, to be able to handle all the people who required hospitalisation,” he said.

Referring to media reports, he said there is a drastic shortage of hospital beds and people are being taken care of in makeshift arrangements.

“So, it would be possible, perhaps, with the help of your own military, to put up field hospitals as you would do as if in a war time setting, so that people who are sick and require a hospital bed, will have a hospital bed,” he said.

Dr Fauci said the world can help by supplying India with materials and perhaps even personnel that they need to adequately address it.

For example, the United States is supplying oxygen cylinders, concentrators and generation units, he said.

Dr Fauci said India often helps other countries in emergency situations.

“Given the fact that India is under such terrible stress right now with the extent of the outbreak, the rest of the world should pitch in to help them, similar to what the United States is doing,” he said.

“We are very sorry that India is going through this very, very difficult time,” he said.

Mizoram government imposes eight-day lockdown in capital Aizawl & other district headquarters town till 11 May.

The Mizoram government has decided to impose an eight-day lockdown in capital Aizawl and other district headquarters town from 3 May. The decision was taken to curtain people’s movement and activities, except essential services, for flattening the curve of the virus transmission and efficient testing, tracking and treatment, said a government order.

The lockdown would come into force at 4 am on Monday (3 May) and would remain in force till 4 am of 11 May. There are 11 districts in Mizoram, including Aizawl.

“No resident of the Aizawl municipal area and other district headquarters town should step out of their homes during the lockdown, while intra-state movement or travelling outside the state will be allowed under exceptional or very essential case,” the order said.

“State residents or visitors coming to Mizoram should enter the state only through those entry points currently opened by the state government and they will undergo mandatory Rapid Antigen Test for Covid-19,” it added.

The government has mandated the returnees or visitors to undergo either home quarantine or at a government/hotel/community facility if tested negative.

Quarantine is not mandatory for people visiting the state for a short duration (lesser than 96 hours) provided they possess Covid negative certificates from ICMR recognised RT-PCR or Truenat or CBNAT labs. The certificates should not be older than 96 hours upon their arrival in the state.

All places of worship, educational institutions, public parks, picnic spots, movie theatres, gymnasiums, community halls, and restaurants, shopping complexes, malls and business shops have been ordered to stay shut. In addition to this, no permission will be provided for any social gatherings in all parts of the state during the lockdown.

However, shops dealing with essential commodities, fish and meat, vegetables and fruits, seeds, construction materials, animal feeds, puncture works, cold storage and warehousing and e-commerce and home delivery will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Carpentry workshop, steel fabrication workshop, bakery, tailoring and weaving industry are allowed to function during working hours with five workers and recommendation from respective local level task force or village task force.

Development projects and other economic activities will be allowed to function normally with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.

There is no restriction in terms of opening of shops and other economic activities in other parts of the state apart from the district headquarters, the order said.

Bihar announces complete lockdown till May 15

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that a complete lockdown will be imposed in Bihar till May 15, 2021. The CM announced the decision on a Twitter post.

“After discussion with the associate ministers and officials yesterday, it was decided to implement the lockdown in Bihar till May 15, 2021. In relation to its detailed guidelines and other activities, the crisis management group has been instructed to take action today,” the chief minister said.

India may see 3rd Covid wave, no point of night curfews, weekend lockdowns: AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria

AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria said that India may see a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic if the virus continues to evolve further. He also rejected the night curfews and weekend lockdowns as ways to bring down the Covid-19 cases, saying they hardly work. The lockdown has to be aggressive for a sufficient period of time.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Director Dr Randeep Guleria said on Tuesday that India may see a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic if the virus continues to evolve further and develops an immune escape mechanism. Randeep Guleria also rejected the night curfews and weekend lockdowns that some states have imposed to bring down the Covid-19 cases, saying they hardly work.

When asked if a nationwide shutdown is the only option left in view of the Covid emergency in India that has overwhelmed hospitals and caused a crisis of resources such as oxygen, Randeep Guleria said a lockdown for a sufficient duration is needed to cut virus transmission.

“Three things need to be looked at here. The first is improving the hospital infrastructure. The second is decreasing the number of cases in an aggressive way and the third, rolling out of vaccines. We have to break the chain of transmission. If we decrease the close contact between humans, there is a possibility that the cases will come down.”

“We can call it a lockdown, a regional lockdown based on a grated response like the UK did, depending upon the criteria you want — state-level or larger level. It is something that policymakers need to decide because it’s an issue of organising everything in terms of lives and livelihood and that essential services are maintained and at the same time looking after those people who are daily wage workers. It [lockdown] has to be aggressive,” Randeep Guleria said.

Goa government extends COVID-19 curbs on non-essential services, till May 10.

The Goa government on Tuesday decided to bring non-essential services, including restaurants, under the ambit of the COVID-19 induced restrictions in the state which will remain in force till May 10. Modifying the previous order issued by the state government on the extent of the restrictions, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told reporters that non-essential services will remain closed keeping in mind the “sentiments of the people”.

Coronavirus-induced restrictions/lockdown imposed by states and union territories.

Delhi The national capital has been under lockdown since April 19 and it will continue till May 10.

Bihar on May 4 imposed a lockdown till May 15.

Uttar Pradesh has extended its weekend lockdown further by two more days till Thursday, May 6.

Haryana is under a seven-day long lockdown from May 3. Earlier, a weekend curfew was enforced in nine districts.

Odisha A 14-day lockdown has been imposed in the entire state from May 5 till May 19.

Rajasthan has imposed lockdown-like restrictions till May 17.

Karnataka imposed a lockdown from the night of April 27 till May 12.

Jharkhand is under lockdown-like restrictions from April 22 till May 6.

Chhattisgarh has allowed district collectors to extend lockdown, which was to end on May 5, till May 15.

Punjab saw extensive curbs, in addition to measures like a weekend lockdown and a night curfew which will be in force till May 15.

Madhya Pradesh has imposed “corona curfew” till May 7 with only essential services allowed.

Gujarat has imposed a night curfew in 29 cities, besides other restrictions on movement and gathering at public places.

Maharashtra had imposed lockdown-like curbs on April 5 coupled with prohibitory orders and restrictions on the movement of people. The curbs were later extended till May 15.

Goa lifted a four-day lockdown on Monday, except in tourist hotspots like Calangute and Candolim in North Goa, but the government said COVID-19-induced restrictions will remain in force till May 10 during which various commercial establishments will remain closed while political and social gatherings will be banned.

Tamil Nadu has imposed extensive curbs including on all political, social and cultural activities till May 20.

Kerala has announced severe lockdown-like restrictions from May 4 till May 9.

Puducherry has extended lockdown till May 10

Telangana has imposed night curfew till May 8.

Andhra Pradesh has announced a partial curfew from 12 noon to 6 AM from May 5 for two weeks. The state had earlier imposed a night curfew.

West Bengal last week imposed extensive curbs including ban on all kinds of gatherings.

Assam advanced the night curfew to 6 PM from the current 8 PM with restrictions imposed on the movement of people at public places from Wednesday. Night curfew was imposed on April 27 till May seven.

Nagaland has imposed partial lockdown with stricter rules from April 30 to May 14.

Mizoram is under an eight-day lockdown in Aizawl and other district headquarters town from May 3.

Jammu and Kashmir administration has extended the lockdown in four districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu districts till May 6. Night curfew continues in all municipal/urban local body limits of all 20 districts.

Uttarakhand State has reimposed several restrictions and night curfew.

Himachal Pradesh Night curfew in four districts out of 12 and weekend shutdown.

Do away with RT-PCR test for inter-state travel for healthy individuals: ICMR

The need for RT-PCR test in healthy individuals undertaking inter-state domestic travel may be completely removed to reduce the load on laboratories, recommended an ICMR advisory for COVID-19 testing during the second wave of the pandemic. The advisory stated that RT-PCR test must not be repeated in any individual who has tested positive once either by RAT or RT-PCR and that testing is not required for COVID-19 recovered individuals at the time of hospital discharge in accordance with the discharge policy of the Ministry of Health.

Lockdown Set to be Extended Till May 15 in Chhattisgarh Districts.

The Chhattisgarh government on Tuesday allowed collectors to extend lockdown till May 15 to contain the spike in COVID-19 cases, officials said.

The lockdown in force in all 28 districts currently is set to end at 6am on May 6. The extension in all districts should be uniform, that is for 10 days till May 15, but with certain relaxations, they added. The lockdown in Raipur has been extended till May 17, an official informed.

During this period, agriculture shops, godowns will be open and movement of fertiliser trucks will be allowed, standalone grocery outlets can remain open or operate via home delivery, a state public relations department official said.

“Banks and post offices can open with 50 per cent staff, electricians and plumbers can offer home services while home delivery of ACs, fans, coolers etc will be allowed. Shops dealing in poultry, meat, egg, milk and dairy products, fruits, vegetables, flour mills will be allowed to to function. Works related to PWD, Irrigation, Public Health Engineering (PHE), Forest, MNREGA etc will be allowed," he informed.

Petrol pumps and medicine stores will be allowed to open with no time restrictions, whereas loading and unloading of goods at cargo warehouses, godowns etc shall be done between 11pm and 5am only, the official said.

“On Sunday, there will be complete lockdown, and only hospitals, clinics, medicine shops, pet feeding, petrol pumps, home delivery items and services will be allowed," he said.

In Raipur and Durg districts, additional relaxations have been given to outlets dealing in stationery, vehicle-repair as well as eateries.

“Markets, marriage halls, malls, clubs, swimming pools, super markets, all religious places, coaching classes, schools and colleges, pan and cigarette shops, liquor outlets, mobile eateries, barber shops, parks and gyms will remain shut in all districts during lockdown, tourist spots will be closed and all types of public gatherings will remain prohibited," the official said.

The state government also asked the Bastar district administration to maintain a high level of alertness as a new strain has been detected in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, adding that they should strictly implement border controls, improve border checking and testing of people, besides extending lockdown.

Total lockdown in Karnataka after May 12 contemplated.

With Covid cases still on the rise despite one week of curfew, the state government is actively considering the option of imposing a complete lockdown at least for two weeks after May 12, official sources said.

The two-week curfew from April 27 is seen to have yielded partial results, with the government allowing many sectors, including manufacturing, construction and garments factories, to operate with 50% staff and vehicle movement virtually remaining unchecked. The Covid surge is also continuing probably because of people’s recent exodus from Bengaluru to the hinterlands due to the curfew.

Experts have reportedly suggested chief minister BS Yediyurappa go in for a complete lockdown without any relaxation at least till May-end so that the pandemic starts receding by mid-June in other districts. They predict cases may start declining by this weekend. The cabinet met on Tuesday reportedly to deliberate the outcome of the present curfew and the possible steps after May 12.
“We will take stock of the situation on May 10 and decide on the further course of action based on experts’ suggestions,” Yediyurappa told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Jammu and Kashmir extends ‘corona curfew’ in 4 districts of J&K till May 10,

Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday extended the ‘corona curfew’ till May 10 in five districts of J&K including Srinagar and Jammu.

In a tweet, the government said “In view of the trend in COVID positive cases, the positivity rate and the cases per million, the Corona Curfew in the 4 districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Budgam and Jammu which is there till 7 am on Thursday, 6 May 2021, will stand extended till 6 am on Monday, 10 May 2021.”

In addition, the Samba district will also be under corona curfew from 7 pm on Wednesday 5 May 2021 till 7 am on Monday, 10 May 2021

7 more Gujarat cities including Ankleshwar, Vapi, under night curfew from today, May 5.

The Gujarat government on Tuesday extended the night curfew to control spread of coronavirus to seven other cities, apart from the 29 major cities where the curbs are in effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The curfew, imposed in five north Gujarat and two south Gujarat cities, will come into force from Wednesday and will last till May 12. The state has been seeing an unprecedented scenario unfolding, with rising cases and deaths in April.

But even though the number of new cases has been coming down since last four days, the daily spike of positive cases is still around 13,000 and the total caseload has climbed over six lakh, following which the night curfew was extended to Deesa, Ankleshwar, Vapi, Modasa, Radhanpur, Kadi, and Visnagar.

The government had already banned political or social gatherings till May 5 and reduced the number of guests who could attend a marriage ceremony to 50 from 100, following the Gujarat High Court order. Other gatherings have also been limited to a maximum of 50.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani chaired a high-powered core committee meeting late on Tuesday evening at his residence where the latest decision was taken.

The night curfew had been imposed in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamangar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Gandhinagar, Anand, Nadiad, Mehasana, Morbi, Dahod, Patan, Godhra, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Bharuch, Surendranagar, Amreli, Himmatnagar, Palanpur, Navsari, Valsad, Porbandar, Botad, Viramgam, Chotta Udepur, Gir-Somnath, and Veraval.

All businesses and activities apart from essential services have been asked to shut down. Essential services like medical, and para medical will continue, as well as sale of food, vegetables, and milk. Manufacturing units and industries can operate, provided Covid protocols are strictly followed.

All shopping malls and complexes, auditoriums, cinema halls, flea markets, swimming pools, gymnasiums, saloons, spa, beauty parlours, amusement parks, gardens, among others, have been closed.

Public transport will continue with 50 per cent capacity.

Lockdown in Uttar Pradesh extended till 7 am on May 10

Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday decided to increase the duration of the weekend lockdown till 7 am on May 10, an official spokesman said here.
“The corona curfew from Friday 8 pm to Tuesday 7 am, which was extended on May 3 for 48 hours and is in force till May 6 till 7 am has been further extended till Monday (May 10) 7 am,” an official spokesman said here.

All shops and establishments will now remain closed till Monday 7 am.

The official said that further decision to extend the curfew will be taken on Sunday.

The decision for extension has been taken for breaking the chain of coronavirus.

During this period, all essential services will be allowed and vaccination drive will continue, a senior official said, but refused to term it as a “lockdown”, preferring “closure” instead.

On April 29, the state government had announced that weekend lockdowns will now cover Mondays too and on May 3 it was extended till May 6.

Total lockdown in East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya till May 10.

Meghalaya government today announced imposition of total lockdown in East Khasi Hills (EKH) District from 8 PM today till May 10 next in view of spike in COVID19 positive cases.

The lockdown has been declared as total occupancy of beds in hospitals in Shillong has reached 60 per cent.

It was announced by the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma today. He informed that the government had decided that there would be a weekend lockdown in other districts of the state

Examination scheduled for 6-7 May has been postponed to 11-12 May and education department will issue notification

All Cabinet minister have been directed to visit the districts in the state to assess the situation and report back.

Wedding ceremonies that have already been permitted may be held but restricted to family members and numbers will not exceed 50 people. Funerals will be attended by maximum 20 people and with prior permission from concerned officials.

Inter-state movements of people, vehicles have restricted while inter-district movements of of persons to and fro EKH district will be restricted too.

All major markets in EKH district will be closed but essential goods will be available through shops in locality, home delivery permitted.

The government will review the situation on Saturday at 12 noon and take the next step.

Sikkim announces COVID restrictions: Night curfew from from May 6 to May 16

Gangtok: In an attempt to reduce the surge in COVID-19 cases in Sikkim, the state government on Wednesday announced that night curfew will be put in place from 5 pm on May 6 to 9 am on May 16.

The Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) government also announced several COVID restrictions to curb the menace. As per the order, the inter-district movement of persons or private and government vehicles shall also be prohibited, the lockdown notification stated. However, army, security personnel and vehicles carrying essentials have been exempted.

The government has categorically stated that there would be a complete restriction on the movement of vehicles and persons between 5 pm to 9 am during the time-period. Notably, the vehicles carrying essential items will only be allowed to travel between 5 am to 8.30 am.

Movement of vehicles (both government and private vehicles) passing through all check-posts at Rangpo, Melli, Reshi, Ramam, Hathichirey, NTPC (West Sikkim) shall be stopped, the order stated. The restriction shall not be applied to the movement of Army and security personnel vehicles, essential and commercial goods carrying vehicles, or for medical emergencies, the government of Sikkim said in its order.

As per the health department bulletin, Sikkim on May 4 registered 230 more coronavirus cases, pushing the caseload 8,698. One more person succumbed due to the deadly contagious virus, pushing the death toll to 151.

Mamata Banerjee suspends local train services in Bengal, negative report must for flyers.

• Random checking will be done in inter-state buses, RT-PCR negative report not older then 72 hours is mandatory for the passengers. The ruling is also applicable to the passengers of train services.

• Work from home for private sector, for 50% of the staff allowed. Jewellery shops to remain open from 12 pm to 3 pm. Home delivery to be encouraged. Banks to operate from 10 am to 2 pm.

• From 7th May, nobody will be allowed to arrive at airports without RT-PCR negative report not older than 72 hours. Those who will be positive, they will be sent to 14-day quarantine, arranged by airport authority with state govt

Himachal Pradesh Announces 10-Day Strict ‘Covid-19 Curfew’ From May 7 To May 16.

Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday announced a 10-day strict ‘Coronavirus curfew’ from May 7 to May 16 to check spread of unrelenting COVID-19 in the state. The announcement comes after a review meeting chaired by HP CM Jai Ram Thakur. Only essential services will be allowed and all offices will remain shut. People entering the state from outside will need to provide a negative RT-PCR Test report.

The decision to impose the “corona curfew” in the state was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, the spokesperson added.

While government and private offices and establishments will remain closed during the lockdown period, essential services such as those related to health, electricity, telecommunication, water supply and sanitation will be exempted, the official said.

The cabinet decided that work would continue at civil work sites and horticultural, agricultural and other projects, while educational institutions would remain closed till May 31, he said

Government and private transport vehicles will be allowed to ply with 50 per cent occupancy, and inter-state transportation will continue, the official added.

Industrial establishments will work as per guidelines issued by the state government, he said.

The cabinet also decided to cancel the Class 10 board exams of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. All students will be promoted to Class 11 as per norms suggested by the CBSE for its students of the same class, the official said.

The board exams of Class 12 and the annual examinations of colleges will remain suspended until further orders, he said.

Jharkhand extends lockdown till May 13

The Jharkhand government extended the lockdown-like restrictions till May 13 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, officials said.
The restrictions, first imposed on April 22 as “Health Safety Week”, were scheduled to end on Thursday.

“In exercise of the powers conferred under … the Disaster Management Act… the provisions of order number 82 dated 28.4.2021 shall extend till 6 am on 13.05.2021,” Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh said in an order.

State government offices shall be permitted to function till normal hours instead of 2 pm, as per the order.

The restrictions were first imposed till April 28 and then extended till May 6.

The decision to extend the restrictions was taken at a meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

During the period, the shops are open till 2 pm and people are allowed to travel till 3 pm.

All indoor and outdoor congregations of more than five persons are prohibited, except weddings that have a cap of 50 persons and last rites with a maximum of 30 persons in attendance.

All education centres and coaching institutions are closed and all examinations postponed.

Cinema halls, multiplexes, stadiums, gymnasiums, swimming pools and parks, among others, are also closed.

Agriculture, industries and mining operations are functioning. Religious places are open but devotees in fixed numbers are allowed.

Essential and emergency services are exempted.