TURA/NONGSTOIN, June 19: A worrying health scenario wherein the COVID-19 pandemic continues to strike with a devastating effect, taking lives almost every day, has forced authorities to keep in place the current measures to fight against this highly infectious disease.
On Saturday, the West Garo Hills district administration decided to once again extend the lockdown period for another one week as District Magistrate, Ram Singh, passed an order enforcing the containment measures in the district from 5 am of June 21 till 5 am of June 28 with the same restricted and permitted activities as in the earlier order passed on May 30.
According to the order, the opening of essential commodities shops in Tura Main Bazar areas will continue to follow the earlier order while in other parts of the district, these shops will open from Monday to Friday from 8 am till 4 pm while the non-essential shops and vehicle repairing shops are allowed to open on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm.
The movement of vehicles will continue to follow the odd-even rule and all non-essential movement is discouraged and intra-district public transport is not allowed. Those violating the movement protocols or furnishing false self-declaration will be liable for penal action as per law, the order said.
The order also said that besides weekend lockdowns on Saturday and Sunday, the corona curfew now in the district will be from 5 pm to 5 am.
With a high success rate across many countries in containing the covid pandemic through lockdowns and containment measures, authorities in the state are also adhering to a similar practice as the number of infections refuses to die down and people infected with the disease continue to lose their lives.
On Friday alone, two elderly citizens from Tura lost their lives to COVID-19 pneumonia at the Tura civil hospital. The victims were an 80-year-old man from Reserve Gittim locality and a 60-year-old man from Rongkhon Songgital locality.
On Saturday, a patient from South West Garo Hills with co-morbid conditions who was undergoing COVID treatment at Tura Civil Hospital passed away.
Night curfew in WKH
Meanwhile, in West Khasi Hills, the District Magistrate promulgated night curfew in the entire district with effect from June 21 to June 26 between 9 pm to 5 am as well as weekend lockdown from 5am of June 26 to 5am of June 28. Inter-district vehicular movements will conytinue to be restricted.
Major markets will remain closed during the night curfew and lockdown period. Any kind of public gathering is also prohibited.
Permission for limited construction activities, movement of skilled manpower for government construction or travel of essential or emergent nature permission will have to be obtained from the concerned authority.
