ITANAGAR, July 19 - In view of the rising coronavirus cases in the State, the Arunachal Pradesh Government has extended the lockdown in Itanagar capital complex till August 3.
�The decision to extend the lockdown was taken to contain the local transmission of the disease in the capital complex,� State Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar told reporters today.
Itanagar capital complex has witnessed a spurt in COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.
The Chief Secretary said that the lockdown extension was required so as to facilitate the district administration and the Health department to carry out surveillance and conduct rapid antigen tests on all primary and secondary contacts of the COVID-19 patients.
He said that a large-scale testing for COVID-19 will be initiated for all the primary and secondary contacts as well as the vulnerable groups during this period. The government has constituted 20 teams which would visit all 20 wards in Itanagar capital region for rapid antigen tests, he added.
The Chief Secretary said that no movement of people, including vehicles except for the exempted ones like those of essential services, and inter-district movement of people to/from Itanagar capital complex except pressing emergency cases with prior approval of concerned DCs will be allowed during the extended lockdown period. He informed that lockdown relaxation would remain similar as announced earlier. Grocery shops will be allowed to open at sectors and colonies. Home delivery of essential items will also be allowed.
Kumar further said that the medicines which are primarily recommended to treat COVID-19 patients are available in the State.
Apart from that, he informed that the MLA Apartments at Chimpu near Itanagar are being developed as a COVID Care Centre, while a pre-fabricated dedicated COVID hospital with ICU facility would be opened at Midpu under Doimukh circle by the end of this month.
