The Mizoram government has issued new Covid19 guidelines with a few more relaxations in the curbs to ease economic and other activities in Aizawl Municipality Corporation (AMC) area and other parts of the state despite rising Covid19 cases.
The new guidelines will come into effect from October 3 and will remain in force in all parts of the state till October 16 as the existing restrictions imposed on September 17 were scheduled to be lifted on Saturday (October 2).
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The order related to Covid19 curbs issued on Friday night said that it has been felt necessary to give more focus on providing better treatment to Covid19 patients than imposing stringent restrictions despite a spurt in Covid19 cases.
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The new order allowed the re-opening of churches in the worst Covid19 affected AMC area and also in other parts of the state only on Sunday and Sabbath (Saturday) during daytime with 50% seating capacity.
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Churches in Covid19 free towns and villages outside the AMC area have been already re-opened on August 22.
School and other higher educational institutions will continue to remain close in AMC but training institutes will be re-opened with 50% sitting capacity in the state capital, the order said.
In Covid19 free town and villages outside the AMC area, the government has already allowed the re-opening of schools (for KG to class 12) and anganwadi centres on August 15 and further allowed re-opening of all educational institutions, including colleges, on September 5.
Re-opening of public parks is now allowed even in the AMC area with 50 participants subjected to permission of local level task force of the locality where such park located.
Social or public gatherings like anniversary or birthday celebrations and other gatherings are now allowed in AMC area with either 50% of the sitting capacity or 50 attendees, whichever is less, the order said.
The number of attendees in funerals and weddings in the AMC area has been increased from 30 to 50 or 50% of the seating capacity, whichever is less, it said.
The number of attendees in picnic resorts is raised from 25 to 50, while the number of participants has been raised to 20 for indoor games and 50 for outdoor games and 50 for gymnasium in AMC area, it said.
Holding of tournament will now be allowed without audience even in AMC. The number of participants is fixed at 50 or 50% of the seating capacity, whichever is less.
Apart from economic activities or commercial activities allowed previously, the government now allowed full re-opening of all business shops, market places, hawker stalls, hotels, restaurants (with 50% sitting capacity) and tourist lodges, among others, across AMC area.
All government offices in the state will now open with full staff, the order said.
Intra-state movement is allowed under exceptional cases, it said.
Night curfew will continue to be imposed in all district headquarters between 8 pm and 4 pm.
In areas outside AMC, deputy commissioners will issue separate guidelines depending on the Covid19 situation of their districts or areas, the order said.
Mizoram on Saturday 1,626 new Covid19 cases pushing the state’s tally to 96,456, a health official said.
The death toll rose to 314 as three more people have succumbed to the infection in the last 24 hours, he said.
At least 263 children were among the newly infected people, he said.
The single-day positive rate rose to 20.53% from the previous day 16.83% as the fresh cases were detected from 7,919 sample tests, he said.
The number of actives cases now stands at 16,361.
At least 1,677 people have recovered in the last 24 hours, pushing the total recovery to 79,781.
The state has so far conducted more than 11.12 lakh samples tests for Covid-19.
Over 6.82 lakh people have been vaccinated till Friday, of which 4.47 lakh people have received full doses, state immunisation officer Dr. Lalzawmi said.
According to the government bulletin, Aizawl district has so far reported the highest cases at 61,215, followed by Lunglei district (7,060) and Kolasib district (7,028).
Of the total 314 deaths, Aizawl district reported the highest at 234, followed by Kolasib district (24) and Lawngtlai district (20), it said.
Of the 11 districts, Khawzawl has not reported any Covid-19 death till now, it said.