Assam to be under lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday till Mar 31

Assam will be under lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday till March 31 in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The decision has been taken by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and disclosed by State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Essential services like pharmacies, medical, water supply, banking and petrol pumps will be exempted from the purview of the lockdown. The state border will be sealed and no vehicles, barring those on essential duties, will be allowed, Sarma said. In his video conference with the deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to review the situation in the state over COVID-19, Sonowal asked them to closely monitor their respective districts to check coronavirus transmission and ensure complete adherence of the lockdown.

So far, no positive case or coronavirus has been reported in Assam. The chief minister asked the DCs and SPs to enforce the lockdown in their respective jurisdiction and put a close monitoring system in place to make all the essential commodities available to the public.

He also asked them to keep a watch on the traders so that there was no hoarding of essential items and spike in the prices of essential commodities. Sonowal said the people should maintain self-quarantine, emphasising that the golden protocol to check the transmission of the deadly virus was observance of social-distancing and 'avoidance of all kinds of social gathering.

The chief minister, however, said with cooperation from the people, the severity of the new coronavirus and its fatality could be minimised to a great extent. Sonowal also asked the DCs to take the help of 'gaon burahs' (village headmen) 'line sardars' (headman) in the tea garden areas and other organisations to generate awareness and make the people understand in details the severity of the virus and the rate at which it spreads from one infected person to others.

The number of confirmed cases rose to 433, including 402 active cases and seven deaths, according to the Union Health Ministry. PTI TR ACB HMB.

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