The Assam government has relaxed the COVID-19 curfew across the State from June 16 barring five districts where the positivity rate has increased.
Government employees who have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have also been asked to attend office from June 17. But the restrictions on inter-district movement would continue till June 22.
State Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said that the curfew timing in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district — which covers Guwahati and some areas beyond — and a few other districts has been reduced by an hour due to a dip in the overall positivity rate to 2.57%.
The curfew in these districts will now be from 2 p.m. to 5 a.m. and shops will be closed an hour prior to the beginning of the curfew.
The curfew has been relaxed to 12 hours in eight districts with a low positivity rate.
“We have not relaxed curfew in five districts where cases are increasing rapidly. These districts will be under strict surveillance and could be placed under total lockdown if the cases do not show any downward trend by June 21,” Mr. Mahanta said.
These districts are Cachar, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Tinsukia.
All religious places across Assam to stay shut till June 22 while marriages, last rites and other social functions have been allowed with a maximum of 10 people attending.
In Meghalaya, the East Khasi Hills district authorities have decided to partially reopen Iewduh, the largest traditional market in State capital Shillong, from Friday. Shillong is also the headquarters of the district.
The district’s Deputy Commissioner, Isawanda Laloo, said 185 shops and an equal number of vendors would be allowed to open each day on a rotational basis subject to the condition that the shopkeepers and vendors have taken the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The local Syiem [chieftain] listed the shops that would open each day and also made it clear that only the vaccinated people would be allowed to conduct business in the market,” she said.
Iewduh has more than 4,000 shops but only 1,222 have been selected for reopening.
