Aizawl, May 22: The Mizoram government on Saturday extended total lockdown in Aizawl and other district headquarters by another 7 days to rein in coronavirus surge.
The existing lockdown imposed since May 10 was scheduled to be lifted at 4 am on May 24. The government order issued on Saturday said, "In view of the continued surge of COVID-19 positive cases, the competent authority has decided to continue with the current restrictions imposed for curtailing people's movement and activities, in order to further mitigate probable serious impact on public health".
The existing complete lockdown is extended till 4 am of May 31, it said. People residing in the state capital and other district headquarters/towns shall strictly confine to indoors and not venture outside without permission, it said. All places of worship, educational institutions, public parks, picnic spots, movie theatres, gymnasiums, community halls, and restaurants, shopping complexes, malls, business shops having no permission will continue to remain close in all parts of the state.
Besides, all government offices barring a few will remain close during the extended lockdown in Aizawl and other district headquarters, it said. However, government offices and commercial banks will be allowed to open under strict Covid-19 protocols outside the jurisdiction of the state capital and other district headquarters. Shops dealing with essential commodities, vegetables and meats will be opened only on Tuesday and Friday, while those dealing with agricultural seeds and equipment, construction materials, motor workshop, spare parts, among others will open only on Tuesday from 5 am to 5 pm, the order said.
Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, dispensaries, bank and non-banking financial institutions, post offices, filling stations, LPG store houses, fair price shop, animal feed store are exempted from total lockdown. However, economic and agriculture activities will continue to function smoothly under strict adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behavior in other areas outside Aizawl and district headquarters, it said. Night curfew will also be continued in state capital and district headquarters/towns between 7 pm and 4 am.
As for Aizawl and other district headquarters, daily labour can be operated strictly within one compound and no labourer is allowed to work outside his neighbourhood. However, people practicing jhum cultivation, agriculture garden, pisciculture and also animal rearing outside state capital and district headquarters are also exempted from complete lockdown, it said. State residents or visitors should enter the state only through those entry points currently opened by the state government and they will have to undergo mandatory home isolation for 10 days if they tested negative for Covid-19 upon their arrival.
According to the order, intra-state or inter-village movement is strictly prohibited except under exceptional or very essential cases. Meanwhile, a 63-year-old woman has succumbed to COVID-19 at Zoram Medical College (ZMC) on Saturday, taking the death toll to 31. She was diagnosed with the infection on May 11. Mizoram on Saturday reported 274 Covid-19 cases, pushing the state's tally to 10,006. A total of 113 people were discharged from various Covid-19 Care Centres Saturday after they were declared recovered.
The number of active cases now stands at 2,341 while 7,634 people have recovered from the infection.
