Restrictions on the movement of people—weekend lockdowns to night curfews—have been brought back in several parts of the country as states scramble to stem the rising tide of coronavirus infections that threatens to overwhelm the health infrastructure.
With more than 1.26 lakh new infections reported in that last 24 hours, India on April 8 reported its highest daily cases since the outbreak of the pandemic.
This is the third day running that the daily caseload has breached the 1-lakh mark. India's case tally has risen to 1,29,28,574, while the death toll has touched 1,66,862.
Night curfew in Lucknow
Night curfew has been imposed in areas under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation from Thursday till April 16, an official said, as the coronavirus cases continue to surge. There will be exemption on ferrying essential items and there will be no ban on the movement of goods vehicles, Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash said in a statement on Wednesday.
Night curfew in Bengaluru, 6 other cities in Karnataka
Bengaluru and six other cities in Karnataka will enforce a night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am starting Saturday, the government announced on Thursday, minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged states to announce fresh curbs to tackle soaring Covid-19 cases. The curfew, which will be in place till April 20, will also be imposed in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Bidar, Tumakuru and Manipal, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa announced. "Essential services will continue," he said.
Lockdown in Madhya Pradesh
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday announced lockdown measures for weekends without a particular timeline. “There will be a lockdown in all urban areas of the entire Madhya Pradesh from 6 pm on Friday till 6 am on Monday. We are also setting up containment zones in big cities. My intention has never been to impose a complete lockdown,” the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister announced.
Madhya Pradesh yesterday reported 4,043 new coronavirus cases, taking the infections tally in the state to 3,18,014. With 13 more fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 4,086, the state health department said.
Night curfew in Punjab
In an attempt to contain the spread of covid-19, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced night curfew in Punjab on Wednesday. The curfew will be effective from 9 pm to 5 am till April 30. As part of the fresh curbs, the number of people who can attend funerals and weddings has been reduced to 50 for indoor gatherings and 100 for outdoor gatherings. Wearing masks has been made mandatory for all government employees while in office, an official statement noted.
Night curfew in Delhi
In view of rising Covid-19 cases, the Delhi government of Tuesday imposed a night curfew in the national capital from 10 pm to 5 am till April 30. Delhi reported 3,548 new Covid-1919 cases, 2,936 recoveries, and 15 deaths on Monday. With this, total cases in the national capital reached 6,79,962, including 14,589 active cases.
Night curfew in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nawab Malik on Monday said a night curfew would be in place across the state from 8 pm to 7 am. On weekends, a complete lockdown (8 pm on Friday to 7 am on Monday) will be imposed. The restrictions came into effect on 5 April. However, essential, medical services and transportation will be allowed. The curbs will also include a ban on gatherings of five or more people throughout the day.
Night curfew in Chandigarh
Witnessing a sudden spike in coronavirus cases, the Chandigarh administration on Tuesday announced night curfew in the city from 10 pm to 5 am every day until further notice. Only essential services will be allowed to function during the curfew, an official release said. No gatherings will be allowed during the curfew hours and all restaurants have been asked to shut down by 10 pm.
Night curfew in Gujarat
The Gujarat government has decided to extend the night curfew in force in four major cities till 15 April. The night curfew will continue in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara and Rajkot between 9 pm and 6 am till 15 April, according to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Gujarat government.
Night curfew in Odisha
Odisha government has imposed a night curfew in 10 districts of the state in view of the recent spike in coronavirus cases. Night curfew has been imposed from 10 pm to 5 am in Sundergarh, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Balangir, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts.
Night curfew in Rajasthan
As per the guidelines, the night curfew will remain in force from 8 pm to 6 am. Dining at restaurants and hotels during the curfew hours has been prohibited while home delivery of food has been allowed.
Night curfew in Punjab
Amid a surge in novel coronavirus cases in the state, the Punjab government had ordered to extend the existing Covid-19-related restrictions till 10 April to curb the spread of the virus. In an earlier order, the Punjab government had announced a fresh set of measures to curb the Covid-19 spread. Under the revised guidelines, the government decided to extend the night curfew from nine to 11 such districts, including Ludhiana, Patiala, where the cases of infection are rising. The curfew will remain in place from 9 pm to 5 am.
With agencies inputs
