Mizoram, April 22: The Mizoram government issued an advisory discouraging non-essential visit to New Delhi in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the national capital in particular and the country in general.
A circular issued by the state’s general administration department urged residents to avoid travel to New Delhi unless it is “unavoidable” or “very essential” and till the COVID-19 situation in the national capital (Delhi) subsides.
As a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of the residents of Mizoram as well as staff and family members of Mizoram houses in New Delhi, no new guests will be entertained in the two Mizoram Houses located at Vasant Vihar and Chanakyapuri, respectively, until further order, the circular said.
Those people visiting the national capital on medical emergencies and other exceptions to be decided by authorities of the houses are exempted from the restriction, it added.
Mizoram on Wednesday reported 90 fresh cases, pushing the state’s Covid-19 caseload to 5,085. The number of active cases now stands at 497, while 4,576 people have recovered from the virus.
Seven people were discharged from the Zoram Medical College (ZMC) and Covid-19 Care Centres after they were declared to be cured. The Covid-19 recovery rate in the state is 89.99 percent and the infection rate is 1.82 percent. At least 12 people have succumbed to the infection so far.
Meanwhile, a lockdown-like restriction imposed in Aizawl and 10 other district headquarters entered the second day on Wednesday.
Sources said that the stringent guidelines were defied in some district headquarters as many people came out to the streets and activities functioned almost like they were in normal time.
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Due to exempted activities like government offices and essential services, some vehicles and crowds were also seen in the state capital.
At least 106 people were fined for defying the guidelines in Aizawl on Wednesday, police said.
The meeting of district-level task forces in Lawngtlai and Hnahthial districts on Wednesday decided to strictly enforce the guidelines from Wednesday night.
Commencing from Tuesday, the state government imposed a lockdown-like restriction in all the district headquarters, including state capital Aizawl with tweak guidelines to break the chain of rising COVID-19 transmission and facilitate COVID-19 testing and contact tracing as the state grapples with the second wave of COVID-19. The restriction will come into effect by 4 am on April 26.
Though the guidelines issued the midnight of Monday did not use the word “lockdown,” it said that no residents in Aizawl municipal area and other district headquarters barring those exempted should step out of their homes without permission during the restriction period. However, inter-state and intra-state movement is allowed.
Apart from pharmacies, shops selling essential commodities, eateries, vegetables, meat, construction materials, and spare parts in the state capital and district headquarters are allowed to open based on arrangements made by LLTF or VLTF, it said.
Besides, filling stations, motor workshops, cold storage and warehousing, data and call centers, carpentry workshops, steel fabrication workshops, bakeries, tailoring shops, weaving shops, and other related shops are also allowed to be open with LLTF or VLTF’s arrangement, it said.
However, vegetables and other goods are not allowed to be sold in market places and volunteers of LLTF or VLTF will make arrangements to ensure that people get an uninterrupted supply of vegetables.
According to the new guidelines, religious places, educational institutions, public parks, picnic spots, movie theatres, gymnasiums, community halls, restaurants, shopping complexes, malls, and any other amusement places will be closed in all parts of the state.
However, school board examinations, all India level, and other recruitment exams will continue as per schedule, it said. The number of attendees at funerals and weddings is fixed at 30.
However, any public gatherings which do not come under the exemption are banned in all parts of the state.
