The Mizoram government on Monday lifted a complete lockdown imposed in Aizawl to contain the increasing spread of novel coronavirus.
Simultaneously, the state government also lifted restrictions on movement of vehicles carrying any type of goods.
The complete lockdown in the state capital municipal area was announced and came into effect from 8 pm of August 16 in order to expedite contact tracing and facilitate random sample testing of persons, who have high risk of exposure to Covid-19 infected patients after a sizeable number of local transmission cases were reported in the state with majority cases being found in Aizawl.
The government order issued late Sunday night said the existing total lockdown in Aizawl area, which was valid up to 4:30 am of August 24, will be lifted thereafter and the guideline issued on July 31 will be reinstated in the entire state.
According to the July order, the state government had announced partial lockdown across the state till August 31.
Business shops and commercial activities will function normally with strict adherence to social distancing.
All educational institutions and coaching institutes will continue to remain closed. However, training institutes under the Central and State government will be allowed to open with strict adherence to the SOP issued by the Centre on July 3.
Though religious congregations and other large social gatherings are continued to be prohibited, the government allowed morning devotion in churches, marriage ceremony, funeral, anniversary celebrations, political and other social events with a maximum 50 attendees.
Games and sports practice, book release function and other related events are also allowed with maximum 25 attendees.
Night curfew will be imposed in all district headquarters between 8:30 pm and 4:30 am, the government said in its July order.
Meanwhile, the government order issued on Sunday night said that inter-state movement of vehicles carrying non-essential commodities will be resumed from August 24.
Earlier, the state government had banned entry of vehicles carrying commodities barring those carrying essential commodities at the existing two entry points in Vairengte on the Mizoram-Assam border and Kanhmun on the state border with Tripura following a surge in Covid-19 cases among truckers and their helpers.
So far, Mizoram reported 918 Covid-19 cases, of which 760 were males and 158 were females.
There are 457 active cases in the state while a total of 461 people have already recovered.
According to health department, as many as 33,507 samples have been tested till Monday evening.