COVID-19: Assam extends lockdown restrictions till June 16

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has issued an order which states that the imposed restrictions in the state, which were supposed to come to an end on June 5, have now been extended till June 16.

Government in its revised SOP has allowed markets to remain open till 12 noon and that curfew will be imposed from 1 PM to 5 AM.

The ASDMA in the order stated that the following restrictions will be imposed in both urban and rural areas with effect from June 6 and will remain in force till June 16.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had urged all states to keep COVID containment measures in force until June 30.

Revised SOP details:

Gatherings

• All shops and commercial establishments shall shut down at noon on all days.
• Restaurants, Dhabas and other eateries can entertain dine-in guest only up to noon. Takeaway including home delivery of food is allowed till 1 PM after which only home delivery of food will be allowed.
• Restaurants operating within a Hotel or Resort can allow outside guests up to noon only. However, in-house guests of the Hotel/Resort may be given only room service past noon.
• Cold storages and warehouses may continue past noon. However, sale counters, showrooms etc. attached to these warehouses or cold storages shall not operate past noon.

Work Places (government and private)

• All offices both Government and Non-government shall remain closed till June 15, 2021.
• Government/semi-government officers in the rank of Deputy Secretary and above, and senior executives in the non-government sector along with their key support staff will be allowed to attend office only for emergency and essential works.

However, 1 and 2 above will not be applicable for organisations rendering essential/emergency services, law enforcement services and election work.

Inter-district movement

• All inter-district transport services and movement of people to and from other districts shall remain suspended.

All other restrictions issued by authorities like the odd-even rule for the movement of vehicles and declaration of containment zones will remain as per previous orders.

Meanwhile, the state government today fixed the rates for Covid treatment in private hospitals. The move comes in the wake of numerous allegations over private hospitals charging exorbitant rates for treating COVID-19 patients.

Briefing newspersons, Health Minister Keshav Mahanta informed about the new rates. As per the new notification, every Super Speciality hospitals can charge a maximum of Rs 15000 daily.

The new costs include Rs 5,000 daily for general ward, Rs 6,500 for share cabin, Rs 10 thousand for ICU without ventilator and Rs 15,000 for ICU with a ventilator.