GUWAHATI, June 29 - Police arrested over 26 persons and seized over 120 vehicles to enforce a 14-day lockdown in Guwahati which began today. Barring pharmacies, all shops and business establishments were shut and the streets bore a deserted look. Those few vehicles of emergency services plying were also checked by police deployed across the city.
�A strict lockdown doesn�t mean we will be strict on people. People must cooperate to make the lockdown a complete success. We cannot afford repeated lockdowns,� Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who visited some Covid Counselling Centres in the city during the day said.
He said the city was bracing for critical times, given the daily increase in number of cases.
�Yesterday, we got 157 cases in Guwahati. Of course, 27 were Indian Army personnel, but the rest were from different wards in the city. We need to stop this and we can do it only if people cooperate,� Sarma said, also appealing to people to get their swabs tested at the nearest centre.
The Health Minister hinted that after seven days, the government may allow opening of groceries and vegetable vendors.
Police on first day of new lockdown have seized around 120 vehicles on charges of violating the lockdown norms across the city.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Mayank Kumar Jha said that highest number of vehicles were seized in Dispur and Maligaon areas.
Senior police officials stated that on Monday the lockdown was by and large successful in the city and in most areas people obeyed all the norms properly.
