Amid nationwide lockdown, 100 per cent of the shops in Assam are likely to be opened from Monday.
This was announced by Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna at a press conference following discussions with Assam chief minister Sarbananada Sonowal and director general of police Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta.
Talking to reporters, chief secretary Krishna said during an important meeting it was discussed that offices with 100 per cent employees may be allowed to open from Monday.
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“A notification will be issued tomorrow regarding the opening of the shops and offices,” said chief secretary Krishna.
However, the shopkeepers will have to adhere to the norms of social distancing, the chief secretary said.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in an order extended the nationwide lockdown up to May 31 in view of the COVID19 pandemic.
Following the lockdown extension, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also issued fresh guidelines on the fourth phase of the lockdown.
As per the MHA order, all cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars and auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places will remain closed.
Krishna said, “As ordered by the central government, all the hotels, shopping malls and gymnasiums will also remain closed in the state.”
However, the restaurants and bars will be permitted for home delivery, the chief secretary said.
“But everything will remain prohibited in Containment Zones,” Krishna said.
Regarding the curfew which was clamped from 6 pm to 6 am in Assam earlier, Krishna said now it will be imposed from 7 pm to 7 am as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He also said the norms of 50 per cent of passengers in buses and one person on a bike will continue.
Maintaining social distancing and wearing of masks will be important, he added.
Krishna said the central government in its order said the delineation of Red, Green and Orange Zones will be decided by the respective state and UT governments, after taking into consideration the parameters shared by Union health ministry.
“A district will be declared Red Zone if the district has 200 COVID19 patients. According to the data of the central government, the country has only 30 districts where such patients’ count has crossed 200-mark,” he added.