Himachal Pradesh: Government orders 10-day curfew starting May 7
In view of an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases across Himachal Pradesh, the state government on Wednesday announced a 10-day "corona curfew" to check the spread of the viral infection. The curfew will be in place from May 7 till May 16 While government and private offices and establishments will be shut during this period, essential services will continue to function.
Essential services exempt from the 10-day curfew
Section 144 of the CrPC will be imposed during the course of the curfew, but essential services such as those related to health, electricity, telecommunication, water supply, and sanitation will be exempted, an official said, according to PTI. The official further clarified that work on horticultural, agricultural, and industrial projects, as well as civil work sites, will continue as per the state government's guidelines.
Class X examinations canceled; educational institutes to remain shut
It was also decided that Class X board examinations of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education will be canceled. These students would be promoted to Class XI as per norms laid down by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Class XII board examinations and annual examinations of colleges will remain suspended until further orders. Schools/colleges will remain shut till May 10.
Directives on inter-state and intra-state travel
Government and private transport vehicles will be allowed to ply with 50% occupancy and inter-state transportation will continue to operate, the official said. Vehicles engaged in the supply of essential commodities will be allowed to ply. No outsiders traveling to Himachal will be allowed to enter without submitting a negative RT-PCR test report, the guidelines further stated.
Every fourth sample tested found positive
On average, every fourth sample returned a positive COVID-19 report and the positivity rate in the state was recorded at 23.97%, Special Health Secretary Nipun Jindal said. He added that 3,824 of the 15,954 tested samples were found to be positive.
Curfew announced after state reports nearly 4,000 new cases
As many as 3,843 fresh COVID-19 cases and 48 associated deaths were reported on Tuesday, according to data updated till 7 pm (the latest available bulletin at the time of writing). Kangra district reported the highest number of new cases and deaths, at 817 and 15, respectively. Meanwhile, Shimla, the capital and largest city of the state, reported 323 new cases and four fatalities.
Cong MLA expresses concern over state's recovery rate
Congress MLA Asha Kumari said, "The national COVID-19 recovery rate is 81.9% but Himachal Pradesh's recovery rate stands at 78.1%. This is a serious issue which needs to be immediately addressed."
