Officials have announced restrictions on operational timings of commercial establishments in Bandar revenue division starting from April 22. The move comes in the wake of a steep rise in COVID-19 cases in Machilipatnam and surrounding mandals.
The decision to curtail timings was taken by a COVID divisional task force committee headed by Minister Perni Venkataramaiah as a measure to contain the spread of the virus.
In a release on Tuesday, Bandar RDO Sk. Khajavali said that shops and commercial establishments, including cinema halls and fuel stations, will be allowed to remain open only between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Mr. Khajavali asked people to go for shopping only before 7 p.m. However, medical shops will be exempted from the restrictions, he said. Only 100 persons per gathering will be allowed and permission should be sought from the municipal commissioner in urban areas and the Tahsildar in rural areas by the organisers in advance, he said.
He also asked medical shop owners to pass on the information of people buying medicines to treat COVID symptoms so that the government can trace and test them.
No curfew
“All commercial establishments should be closed between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. but it is not a curfew. People can go out if there is an emergency,” Bandar DPS M. Ramesh Reddy said.
He said Iftar feasts and pandals for Srirama Navami will be not be allowed in the division.
Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner S. Siva Rama Krishna asked people to come out of their homes only if necessary. He urged people to take all precautions as the second wave of COVID-19 was spreading rapidly.
