* Closure from March 24 evening to midnight of March 31
* Violators to face jail term from six months to two years
* Banks, treasuries to work with skeletal staffs, ATMs to function
* Essential services including water supply and power exempted
* Pharmacies, grocers, petrol pumps & LPG distributors to remain open
STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam will be under lockdown from 6 pm on Tuesday till March 31 in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Making the announcement at a press conference held at Janata Bhawan here on Monday evening, Finance, Health and Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said barring essential services including grocery shops, pharmacies and petrol pumps all other private, commercial and government establishments in the State would remain closed during the lockdown. He said the people would not be able to come out to the streets and violators of the lockdown would face imprisonment from 6 months to 2 years.
Sarma added that inter-State movements of transport during the lockdown would remain suspended. The inter-State borders will be sealed. Barring restricted movement of flight operations, all other forms of transports — both private and commercial — will barred. Only those vehicles engaged in essential services such as medical, drinking water, petrol pumps and others would be allowed to ply.
“Since it is the last month of the current financial year (2019-20), the treasury and banks will operate with skeletal staffs. ATMs will function.
“More than 3 persons cannot assemble in any religious places such as temples, mosques and churches. People can go to grocery shops with certain restrictions.
“All other markets including vegetable, fish and meat will remain shut,” the Minister said, adding that the government will also issue an advisory to media houses to cut down on non-essential staffs. Only ten journalists from different media house will be invited to attend government press conferences and the rest will share the news.
When asked about the reported move of hawkers not to distribute newspapers in Guwahati as a precaution against coronavirus, Sarma said the Centre and the State governments have no such move to stop distribution of newspapers. “It is difficult to say that newspapers could carry the virus. Otherwise the leading dailies of the country would not have been distributed in other parts of the country. But at the same time, I appeal to the journalists to take protective measures while carrying out their duties,” the Minister said.
Sarma pointed out that even though Assam has not yet recorded any positive COVID-19 case, it is high time to take very tough measures to ensure complete social isolation to break the chain of spreading coronavirus. Expressing serious concern over the casual approach of some individuals and organizations to ensure social distance, he said the State Government has already instructed the police to pick up and arrest persons who break the lockdown. He said the violators will face jail term from 6 months to 2 years as per various Indian laws.
“Besides the authorities, the society should come forward to ensure home quarantine of those who had made foreign trips and visited other States of the country recently. Those who had visited the highly corona-infected States namely Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka recently and have not yet undergone home quarantine at least for 14 days, will face punitive actions. I appeal to everyone to take care of the elderly persons because they are highly vulnerable to the dangerous virus. The young people with certain ailments such as diabetes, blood pressure and cardiac distress are also vulnerable. Only maintenance of social distance and precaution can save us from the virus. Nothing else can save us. The virus will not identify rich, poor, influential and it will attack only those who do not take care,” Sarma said.
On preparedness to tackle the coronavirus spread, the Minister said that the doctors, nurses and other health workers have completely dedicated themselves to treat the infected persons. Stating that leaves of all employees of the Health department have been cancelled, he lauded them saying that they are extending a commendable service to the society.
He further said that 150 ICUs and 60 ventilation facilities have been kept ready for COVID-19 patients. The Sonapur Civil Hospital will be converted into a dedicated centre for corona-infected persons. The Regional Institute of Ophthalmology at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital will be dedicated to deal with rushes of patients due to corona infections. Eye patients of GMCH will have to go to Sri Sankardev Nethralaya at Beltola. The government will also keep some hotels and hostels ready to serve as temporary hospitals.
Sarma added that he will hold a meeting with private hospitals to cooperate with the governments in its fight against coronavirus. “We will discuss as to how the private hospitals will take the load of general patients to lessen the burden on the government hospitals,” he stated.