Guwahati: Assamese actor Geetawali Rajkumari (of Hiya Diya Niya fame)and her daughter tested COVID-19 positive on Tuesday (July 21) in Jorhat, Assam.
According to reports, Rajkumar tested positive for the contagion during rapid antigen testing which gives a "confirmed positive" result. Earlier, the actress' elder sister Subhalakshmi, had tested positive on Monday. Meanwhile, Prasanta Bora, Former ward commissioner of Jorhat Municipal Board, and an employee of the revenue department, Abhilash Dutta, also tested COVID-19 positive in Jorhat.
Owing to the surge in cases in cases in Jorhat, where the cases are rising at a similar rate as Guwahati, the Government has imposed a lockdown that is being lifted in phases. Roshni Aparanji Korati, the Deputy Commissioner of Jorhat district has promulgated new rules for the ongoing lockdown that shall come into effect at 7:00 AM of July 23 and shall come to an end on 7:00 PM of August 7 in the district's municipality and sub-urban areas.
The district administration, in the latest order, has given many relaxations to the trade establishments, which is likely to act as a shot-in-the-arm for the Jorhat economy. The weekend lockdowns, as well as the closing of the haats/markets, shall continue to remain in force.
In this new phase of the lockdown, all the shops and establishments including wholesalers for essential items, and whole-sellers for non-essential items shall be allowed to operate from 9 am to 5 pm. However, there is a catch.
These establishments shall only be allowed to operate on one side of any street on any given day and on the other side on alternate days. During this phase of the lockdown in Jorhat, the courier and e-commerce activities shall be allowed from Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Restaurants, sweet shops, bakeries, and other hospitality services shall also be allowed to function from Monday to Friday on a "takeaway basis" including home delivery of cooked food.