The Rajasthan government on Wednesday imposed prohibitory orders across the State, restricting assembly of people at public places till March 31, to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
The decision was taken after three new COVID-19 positive cases were detected in Jhunjhunu district.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot authorised the District Magistrates and Sub-Divisional Officers to issue orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code to enforce the ban on gatherings.
Emergency meeting
Mr. Gehlot addressing an emergency review meeting here, said that public announcements on loudspeakers would be made urging people not to assemble in groups.
Returned from Italy
A couple and their three-year-old daughter, who returned from Italy to Jhunjhunu on March 8, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.
Mr. Gehlot gave instructions for clamping curfew in a one-km radius area around the family’s house for the next two days to check the spread of infection.
The three patients were taken to Sawai Man Singh Government Hospital in Jaipur for their treatment.
A rapid response team, accompanied by a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), left for Jhunjhunu for surveillance to trace the people who came in contact with the family during the last 10 days.
The man, 33, his wife, 30, and their daughter were earlier placed under observation and admitted to the government hospital in Jhunjhunu on Tuesday where they showed symptoms of the virus.
Their samples were taken on Tuesday and sent to S.M.S. Hospital in Jaipur for testing.
New laboratories
Mr. Gehlot said new testing laboratories would be established in Jhunjhunu, Ajmer, Kota, Bharatpur and other towns and the capacity of diagnostic facility in Jaipur would be doubled.
All passengers reaching Jaipur by foreign flights would be screened and kept in home isolation for 14 days if the symptoms of infection were found in them.
