After Ghaziabad, section 144 imposed in Gautam Buddha Nagar amid surge in COVID-19 cases

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New Delhi: Following Ghaziabad authorities decision, Gautam Buddh Nagar authorities on Thursday (March 18) imposed COVID-19 restrictions, under Section 144 of CrPC, between March 17- April 30 as a precautionary measure against the rising cases in view of upcoming festivals.

As the calendar marks a series of upcoming festivals, including Holi, Good Friday, Maharishi Kashyap Jayanti, Ambedkar Jayanti, Navratri and Ram Navami the Gautam Buddh Nagar police is putting in place numerous precautionary measures starting from March 17 till April 30.

Meanwhile, Ajay Shankar Pandey, Ghaziabad District Magistrate has issued orders to prevent gatherings amid rising COVID-19 infections and upcoming festivals, under section 144 criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). 

No festival-related activity will be allowed in the containment zone and no resident the containment zone will be allowed to participate in any kind of event outside. Persons over the 65 years of age and children under 10, sick and pregnant women have been urged to sit at home unless there is a health emergency.

As many as 28,903 new COVID-19 cases and 17,741 recoveries were reported in India in the last 24 hours, the Union Health Ministry informed on Wednesday (March 17). The death toll stands at 1,59,044 including 188 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours. On the other hand, over 3,50,64,536 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far in the country.

Additionally, Uttar Pradesh’s Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh said, “the government machinery is concentrating more on preventive steps like focus and contact/target testing to arrest the cases before it takes an alarming proposition.” 

He also stated that the situation in Uttar Pradesh is not as alarming as other states in the country, so there is no need to impose any night curfew or lockdown.

Meanwhile, amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and others, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers of the states on Wednesday (March 17). "We will have to immediately stop the emerging second wave of coronavirus, and for this, we will have to take quick and decisive steps," said PM Modi in the meeting.