Guwahati: Assam Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna has unveiled additional guidelines for the ongoing lockdown in Guwahati, which will be in effect from July 5-12.
The new rules, as stated by the Chief Secretary are as follows:
The grocery shops will be allowed to open between 11 am and 4 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays (6 & 8 July). However, the Deputy Commissioner shall give directives to open only 20% of the shops on any given day. During this period, shopkeepers and customers all shall have to wear masks and hand gloves and maintain social distancing. Additionally, the shopkeepers have been tasked with maintenance of price line and prevention of "artificial shortage."
Whole sellers have been urged to replenish stocks of retailers on Sunday (July 5) and Tuesday (July 7) between 3 pm and 6 pm.
Additionally, the door-to-door sale of fruits and vegetables shall be allowed between 8 am and 2 pm on Monday and Wednesday.
Activities related to the wholesale distribution of medicines and medical equipment shall be allowed between 10 am and 3 pm only on Monday and Wednesday.
Veterinary clinics veterinary medicine shops are allowed to operate on all days between 10 am and 4 pm. Feed shops will be allowed to operate on Monday and Wednesday.
At the same time, e-commerce couriers will be allowed to distribute wares between 11 am and 4 pm on Friday (July 10).
Post offices and life insurance corporation offices shall be allowed to operate 10% of their branches with only 10% of their total employee strength.
The Chief Secretary, in his order, made it explicitly clear that no roadside vending of any fruit, vegetable, fish, etc. will be allowed during the lockdown period.
All the other restrictions, as informed earlier, shall remain in place, the Chief Secretary's notice stated.
It needs mention here that Guwahati city -- the largest urban area in Northeast India -- has been placed under lockdown by the Government of Assam owing to the massive surge of COVID-19 cases, many of which are without travel history. Out of 365 COVID-19 cases that were detected yesterday, 134 have been detected in Guwahati alone.