After imposing a weekend curfew in Ahmedabad , the Gujarat government on Friday decided to impose night curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. in Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot, and the authorities intensified efforts to contain the surging COVID-19 cases.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who also holds the Health portfolio, told media persons that all the four major cities would observe night curfew to break the transmission chain in a second wave that saw the largest daily case toll of 1,420 new cases on Friday.
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In Ahmedabad, complete curfew has been enforced from Friday 9 p.m. to Monday 6 a.m. and then indefinite night curfew. There will not be any public transport service in the city on Saturday and Sunday, while all exams scheduled by the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) and other bodies have been postponed.
The State transport has cancelled over 300 bus routes to and from Ahmedabad.
Except pharmacies, fuel stations and milk parlours, all other commercial establishments will remain shut over the weekend in the city.
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“All essential services like milk, drug stores, municipal services, petrol & gas stations, Pharma Companies, electrical & water utilities shall operate and personnel connected with their operations shall be allowed to move on possession of valid ID documents,” said Dr. Rajiv Kumar Gupta, senior officer tasked with COVID-19 management in Ahmedabad.
Dr. Gupta said passengers arriving at and leaving from the Amdavad airport and railway station shall be permitted to move around, provided they were in possession of valid tickets and ID proof during two days of curfew in Amdavad city.
Gujarat on Friday recorded its highest daily case toll of 1,420 new infections, increasing the active cases to 13,050. With seven fatalities, the death toll has reached 3837.
Demand for hospital beds
Meanwhile, according to medical practitioners in Ahmedabad, a sudden rise in cases had led to an increased demand for hospital beds. On Friday, the city saw 305 cases.
“What we are witnessing is rising demand for hospital beds. The government and municipal authorities are likely to acquire more private hospitals in the coming days to cater to the rising number of patients,” a top infectious disease expert told The Hindu .
So far, there are seven government and municipal hospitals and 76 private COVID-19 designated hospitals in the city.
