The State will go under an 18-hour curfew between 12 noon and 6 a.m. every day for two weeks (up to May 18) from Wednesday as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Between 6 a.m. and 12 noon all the business activity, public movement and others would be allowed and Section 144 of the Cr.P.C. would be in force to prevent the gathering of five or more people at public places.
From 12 noon to 6 a.m. next morning, all the business and public activity including all the firms, shops, establishments, offices, educational institutions, restaurants and others have to be closed, as per the guidelines issued in a government order on Tuesday.
However, essential services, including hospitals, diagnostic labs, pharmacies, print and electronic media, telecommunications, internet services, broadcasting services, IT and ITeS, fuel stations, including CNG outlets, LPG outlets, power generation, transmission and distribution, water supply and sanitation, cold storage and warehousing services and private security services would be exempted from the curfew. Manufacturing industries, agricultural operations have also been exempted.
Public movement
During the curfew hours, all public movement would be restricted and those related to the list of offices and establishments declared under the essential services category would be exempted.
In addition, officials of State and Central governments, including staff of the High Court, local bodies on emergency duty, have been exempted.
Medical personnel, pregnant women and patients, persons availing COVID vaccination at designated health facilities, persons availing themselves of healthcare in public or private healthcare establishments, transportation of persons in private vehicles for availing healthcare services, persons coming from or going to airports, railway stations, bus stands on production of valid tickets are also exempted from the curfew.
Transport
All the inter-State and intra-State movement of essential and non-essential goods have been exempted, while local transport services like auto-rickshaws, cabs and city bus would be allowed only between 6 a.m. and noon. Intra and inter-district public transport and inter-State public transport would not be allowed during the curfew hours.
Weddings
The government reduced the number of guests allowed at marriages to 20 and only functions such as marriages that were already scheduled and could not be rescheduled would be allowed with permission from local authorities.
District administration, police units and other HoDs were asked to issue passes to the persons under the exempted category to facilitate their movement.
