New SOP: From 20 July shops, offices open till 4 PM & curfew from 5 PM in Barak Valley
মঙ্গলবার থেকে বরাকে কার্ফু শুরু বিকাল ৫টায়

ওয়েটুবরাক, ১৯ জুলাই : করোনা সংক্রমণ কিছুটা নিয়ন্ত্রণে আসায় বরাক উপত্যকায় কার্ফুর মেয়াদ কমানো হয়েছে৷ বেলা ২টার পরিবর্তে এখন কার্ফু শুরু হবে বিকাল ৫টায়৷ আগামীকাল মঙ্গলবার থেকে এই নতুন করোনাবিধি কার্যকর হবে বলে দুর্যোগ মোকাবিলা দফতর সরকারি বিজ্ঞপ্তি জারি করে জানিয়েছে৷ ফলে পূর্বের নির্দেশিকা মেনেই দোকানপাট বন্ধ হবে কার্ফুর একঘন্টা আগে অর্থাৎ বিকাল ৪টায়৷

একই এসওপিতে জানানো হয়েছে, করোনা সংক্রমণ নিয়ন্ত্রণে না আসায় পাঁচ জেলায় পূর্ণ লকডাউন ঘোষণা করা হয়েছে৷ জেলাগুলি হল গোলাঘাট, যোরহাট, লখিমপুর, বিশ্বনাথ ও শোণিতপুর৷ এ ছাড়া, গোয়ালপাড়া ও মরিগাঁও জেলায় বেলা ১টা থেকে পরদিন ভোর ৫টা পর্যন্ত কার্ফু বলবৎ থাকবে৷ বরাক উপত্যকা সহ বাকি জেলাগুলিতে কার্ফু চলবে বিকাল পাঁচটা থেকে ভোর পাঁচটা পর্যন্ত৷ ফলে এখানে সরকারি-বেসরকারি অফিস, দোকানপাট, ধাবা, রেস্টুরেন্ট বিকাল ৪টা পর্যন্ত খোলা থাকবে৷

যাদের অন্তত একটি করোনা প্রতিষেধক গ্রহণ করা হয়েছে, তাঁরাই সরকারি অফিসে নিয়মিত যেতে পারবেন৷ স্থায়ী, অস্থায়ী, নির্দিষ্ট বেতনের কর্মচারী সকলের ক্ষেত্রে এই নিয়ম প্রযোজ্য বলে বিজ্ঞপ্তিতে জানানো হয়েছে৷ তবে কর্তৃপক্ষ প্রয়োজন মনে করলে টিকা না নেওয়া কর্মীদেরও ডাকতে পারেন৷ সে ক্ষেত্রে টিকা না নেওয়া কর্মীদেরও উপস্থিত হতে হবে৷

বেসরকারি প্রতিষ্ঠানের ক্ষেত্রে দায়িত্ব তাঁদের ওপরই ছাড়া হয়েছে৷ আগের মতই প্রসূতি, পাঁচ-অনূর্ধ্ব শিশুর মা এবং শারীরিক প্রতিবন্ধীরা ওয়ার্ক ফ্রম হোম অর্থাৎ বাড়িতে থেকেই অফিসের কাজ করবেন৷ এসওপিতে নতুন করে জানানো হয়েছে, পূর্ণ লকডাউনের জেলাগুলিতে জরুরি সেবা ব্যতীত সরকারি-বেসরকারি কোনও গাড়ি চলাচল করবে না৷ তবে ছাড় মিলবে পণ্যবাহী গাড়িতে৷

এসওপিতে নতুন করে জানানো হয়েছে, পূর্ণ লকডাউনের জেলাগুলিতে জরুরি সেবা ব্যতীত সরকারি-বেসরকারি কোনও গাড়ি চলাচল করবে না৷ তবে ছাড় মিলবে পণ্যবাহী গাড়িতে৷

July 19: The Chief Minister last week said that the revised Covid-19 SOP will be issued on Thursday. However, the Assam Government has come up with revised guidelines on Monday, which will come into effect from 5 AM of 20 July, 2021.

As per the new SOP, shops, business establishments, government and private offices in the 3 districts of Barak Valley- Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi will remain open till 4 PM from 20 July. Further, Covid curfew will be imposed from 5 PM to 5 AM. However, all inter district passenger transport services and movement of people to and from other districts shall remain suspended. Till 19 July, shops & business establishments shall remain open till 1 PM and Covid curfew will begin at 2 PM.

Issuing an order to this effect on 19 May, 2021, the government of Assam stated that the situation of COVID-19 in the State has been comprehensively reviewed and observed that, though few districts have shown improvement in the positivity rate, the number of active cases and positivity rate is still high in some districts like Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Biswanath. Whereas, Goalpara and Morigaon districts, after facing total containment for over 2 weeks, have shown improvement in terms of case load and positivity rate.

In exercise of the powers, conferred under Section 22(2) (h) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the undersigned, in his capacity as Chairperson, State Executive Committee of the State Disaster Management Authority, Assam, do hereby issues the following directives for both rural and urban areas which will remain in force with effect from 5 AM of July 20, 2021 until further order.

A. Containment Zones:

In case the test positivity of COVID-19 in any area reaches more than 10 cases in the last seven days, the jurisdictional District Magistrate will notify such areas as total containment zones in consultation with MD, NHM and ensure necessary containment measures for COVID-19.

However, in such zones, emergency services will continue round the clock and essential services including shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder, etc will remain open upto 5 PM.

Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipments through e-commerce in such areas will continue round the clock.

C. Other restrictions and relaxations:

1. All Government servants (including contractual and fixed pay) who have taken atleast one dose of COVID-19 vaccine shall attend office except in total containment areas. Private sector entities may take their own decision about attendance of their employees on this account.
2. Employees who have not taken vaccine will have to attend office as and when their services are required by respective authorities.

3. Employees engaged in emergency / essential services shall attend their duty without any restrictions at any place.

4. The organizations (Government / Private) rendering Essential/Emergency Services, Law Enforcement Services and Election work will continue working without any restrictions in all districts.
5. Pregnant women employees and women with children of 5 years or below working under any Government / PSU / Financial Institutions / Private Organizations irrespective of their grade shall be eligible to work from home. 6. Persons with disabilities (PwDs) working in any Government/PSU/ Financial Institutions/Private organizations shall be exempted from attending duties in consonance with the 0.M No.11013/9/2014/Estt.(A.III) dated 1st April, 2020 issued by DoPT, Gol. However, they may be encouraged to work from home.

D. Public Transport (Government and Private):

1. There will be a total ban on movement of all public and private transport in the total containment districts. However, movement of goods shall continue.
2. In other districts:

I. All Public transport authorities shall enforce COVID-19 appropriate behavior and seating inside the vehicles, carriers, containers etc.

II. Auto Rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis shall operate with one driver and two passengers maintaining social distancing.

III. Pillion riding will be totally prohibited in two wheelers, except with women and children.

IV. Intra-district transport, with 50% seating capacity and observance of COVID appropriate behaviour, may be allowed.

V. All inter-district passenger transport services and movement of people to and from other districts shall remain suspended.

VI. Wearing of face mask is mandatory even for a single person driving a vehicle. In case of persons travelling in any private car, up to 100 % of its seating capacity, wearing of face mask is mandatory for all the persons. E.

Educational Institutions (Government and Private):

1. All Educational Institutions including Schools/Colleges/Universities shall continue to provide quality virtual options. No physical classes are allowed.
2. Teachers / Faculty members need not attend their respective institution but if District Administration engages in COVID 19 / flood relief related emergency duties, they will have to attend assigned duties.

Miscellaneous:

1 Wearing of face mask is compulsory in all public places.
2. Shop owners shall ensure minimum six feet distance among customers and shall not allow more than 5 persons inside the shop. In addition, shop owners should compulsorily keep sanitizers and hand wash in their shops.

3. Shopkeepers and customers shall have to wear masks, hand gloves and maintain social distancing. Responsibility of maintenance of social distancing will be on the shop owner and failure to do so will be viewed very seriously and may entail summary closure of defaulting shops.

4. Industrial units and Tea gardens may function subject to observance of COVID appropriate behaviour. Head of the unit/tea garden shall be responsible for ensuring social distancing, mask wearing by workers and staff, sanitization of industrial premises, thermal scanning etc.

5. Operation of physical activities of Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) including e-auction are allowed with 20% of the total work force till 3 PM including tea tasting, sampling, brokering. Warehousing is fully exempted. 6. All persons to celebrate Eid from their home. Religious rituals e.g. Namaaz at mosque is allowed with not more than 5 persons including the religious head.

7. Excise authority will continue taking strong action against illegal production and sale of country liquor in all the districts as a covid containment measure.

Other restrictions including odd- even formula for plying of vehicles, declaration of containment zones etc. as notified for urban and peripheral areas, restriction on inter district movement and exemptions via clarifications shall continue to remain in force except those specifically modified by this order.