2-week lockdown in Guwahati from June 29; all grocery shops, vegetable vendors to remain shut

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Dibrugarh: Assam has extended the current lockdown in Guwahati for next two weeks starting June 29 to check the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

As per the latest notification, only pharmacies will be allowed to operate, whereas all grocery shops, commercial and industrial establishments will remain shut, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said as he announced the lockdown in the city. Movement of neither public nor private vehicle will be allowed and no passes will be issued for the same, the minister said.

A night-curfew will be observed across Assam for the next two weeks, Sarma added.

A sharp surge in new coronavirus patients in Guwahati since June 15 prompted the state to take the decision, he said.

On June 25, Assam reported 276 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally to 6,646 in the state. The fresh cases were detected across the state and reported late in the evening, while 75 patients were discharged from various hospitals of Assam. The recovery rate of coronavirus patients is above 60 per cent in the state.

Of the 6,646 cases, 2,601 are active. Assam has witnessed nine deaths due to the disease, 4,033 patients have been discharged and three have migrated out of the state.

There has been a spike in the number of cases in the city since the last week and Himanta Biswa Sarma had said the 'situation in Guwahati is alarming and our focus is now on how to control COVID-19 here, so that it does not spread to the community level in other districts'.

A complete lockdown has been imposed for 14 days since Tuesday in 11 wards of the city, from where most of the cases have been reported.