COVID-19: Patna to remain under complete lockdown for a week; only emergency services allowed

New Delhi: In view of increasing cases of coronavirus in Bihar's capital Patna, District Magistrate on Wednesday (July 8) issued an order for a complete lockdown of the city for a week- from July 10 to July 16. All offices, institutions, markets etc. will remain closed and only emergency services will remain operational during this lockdown, the order said.

According to the order, "..there is an alarming surge in COVID-19 positive cases in district of Patna in the last three weeks wherein positivity rate has also been considerably high. And whereas, the District Administration has examined the matter in detail and is convinced that the requirement for a lockdown in the following manner throughout the district is inevitable and urgent to contain the further spread of the COVID-19 within the district." 

1-Offices of the Government of India, it's Autonomous/Subordinate offices and Public Corporation shall remain closed, said the DM order. 

The order gives an exception to "Defence, central armed police forces, treasury, public utilities (including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG), disaster management, power generation and transmission units, post offices, National Informatics Centre, Early warning Agencies.  

2. Offices of state/Union Territory governments, their autonomous bodies, Corporation, etc. shall remain closed. The exception is given to: 

A. Police, home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management, elections, and prisons. 
B. District administration and Treasury 
C. Electricity, water, sanitation 
D. Municipal bodies-Only staff required for essential services like sanitation, personnel-related to water supply etc. 

"The above offices should work with a minimum number of employees. All other offices may continue to work-from-home only, said the order, adding that "Offices related to judicial work will be run as per the guidelines issued by the Patna High Court administration. 

3. Hospitals and all related medical establishments, including their manufacturing and distribution units, both in public and private sectors, such as dispensaries, chemists and medical equipment shops, laboratories, clinics, nursing homes, ambulance etc. will continue to function.

4. Commercial and private establishments shall be closed down. 

5. All places of worship shall be closed for the public. No religious congregation will be permitted, without any exception.

On Tuesday, the Bihar government issued a notification, saying that those found COVID-19 positive are allowed to stay under home isolation provided they have necessary space. The decision was taken after a meeting between senior officials. As of now, only doctors and other health officials found COVID-19 positive can avail this option in the state.

"COVID-19 patients will only be able to stay under home isolation at home provided they have necessary space for themselves, and also for members of the family for quarantine. During isolation they will regularly have to monitor their health," the notification read.

Asking pandemic patients to contact nearest health facilities when needed, it further added, "In case of any symptom related to COVID-19, they are also required to contact nearest health centres for their proper treatments. They will be out of self-isolation 14 days after submitting of reports provided they don`t have any other symptoms. Once out of self-isolation they will also have to submit an undertaking".