Guwahati: In the aftermath of the total lockdown in Guwahati, clamped to arrest the spread of COVID-19, the district administration of Kokrajhar has restricted the travelling back and forth from Kamrup (M) to Kokrajhar and vice versa.
The District Magistrate of Kokrajhar in an order stated that "it is felt necessary to restrict travelling back and forth from Kamrup (M) to Kokrajhar district and vice versa to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in Kokrajhar district."
"I, therefore, in my capacity as the Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, Kokrajhar, and in exercise of the powers conferred under section 34 of the Disaster Management Act 2005 do hereby impose restrictions on back and forth journey of people from Kamrup (M) to Kokrajhar district and vice versa under general circumstances in the interest of maintenance of public health, hygiene.
However, there will be some exemptions to the rule -- people going to Kamrup (M) for genuine medical reasons and essential Government services shall be exempted from this rule. Meanwhile, all the Heads of Department of Kokrajhar have been urged to ensure that no back and forth journey of officials and staff shall take place until further orders.
This decision by the district administration of Kokrajhar has come in the wake of similar announcements by other districts of Assam amid the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases in the metropolitan area. Between June 24 and July 6, Kamrup Metro had recorded 3,891 positive cases—nearly one-third of the 12,522 total cases detected in the state till date.
With an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases, another lockdown in Guwahati would be inevitable if the situation continues to worsen, Assam finance and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed in an interaction with the press on Sunday. Sarma further added that the subsequent decision regarding lockdown shall be deliberated upon, either on the coming Wednesday or Thursday. Sarma has also declared that the COVID-19 in Guwahati has reached the 'pandemic' stage.