Assam to continue with lockdown restrictions atleast till 15 August

July 30: Lockdown restrictions is going to be continued in Assam till 15 August. As the COVID-19 situation in the state has now started showing signs of improvement, lifting restrictions and imposing all provisions of Unlock 3.0 will be detrimental for Assam. This was aired by State Health Minister on Thursday. He said that it is due to the restrictions imposed by the state government that situation in the state is gradually returning to normalcy. It therefore appears that the state machinery will not implement all guidelines of Unlock 3 at least for the time being.

Earlier on 29 July, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India issued detailed guidelines for Unlock 3 as part of the phased reopening of the lockdown in India in view of coronavirus pandemic. According to the new guidelines, night curfew restrictions across the country will be removed. Yoga institutes and gyms will also be allowed to open from August 5, 2020. However, from the statement of Himanta Biswa Sarma, it appears that these guidelines will not be operational in Assam till atleast 15 August.

It was, however, stated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that after extensive consultation with States and UTs, it has been decided that schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till August 31, 2020. It was further stated that Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the Containment Zones till 31 August, 2020. Containment Zones are required to be carefully demarcated by the State/ UT Governments with a view to contain the spread of COVID-19, after taking into consideration the guidelines issued by MOHFW. Within the containment zones, strict perimeter control shall be maintained and only essential activities allowed.