Rajasthan shuts schools, imposes weekend curfew, issues new guidelines amid surge in COVID cases

Image credit: ANI

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government on Sunday (January 9) announced the closure of schools in urban areas, Sunday curfews, time limits on markets and a cap on occupancy at restaurants and movie theatres in view of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The restrictions were tightened on a day the state registered 5,660 new Covid cases and one death. Of the fresh infections, 2,377 were reported in Jaipur. Rajasthan currently has 19,467 active cases.

At the chief minister's residence, as many as 27 personnel, drivers of VVIP vehicles, have tested Covid positive. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot is already under home isolation after contracting the disease.

Gehlot has appealed to people to restrict their movement to the bare minimum possible and to follow the guidelines so that the spread of the virus could be contained.

"There are reports of thousands of doctors getting infected. The situation is worrying. We all have to fight this pandemic together. We will be successful in this only with the cooperation of the public," he tweeted.

According to the guidelines issued by the state home department, schools up to Class 12 in municipal corporation and municipality areas will be closed till January 30. Online classes will continue as before, it stated.

Earlier, the government had announced the closure of schools for classes 1 to 8 till January 17 in Jaipur and Jodhpur municipal corporation areas.

The guidelines stated the schools will be closed from Monday, but the rest of the restrictions will be effective from January 11.

The authorities have also decided to impose a curfew from 11 pm on Saturdays till 5 am on Mondays to stop the spread of the disease.

During this curfew period, all markets, workplaces and commercial complexes will remain closed, the guidelines stated.

However, factories with continuous production cycles and night shifts, IT and e-commerce, chemist shops, marriage-related services, emergency services, bus stands and railway stations, and health services are exempted.

Shops, malls and other commercial establishments will be allowed to be open till 8 pm, while restaurants and clubs can operate till 10 pm with 50 per cent of seating capacity, according to the guidelines.

Cinema halls, multiplexes, amusement parks, banquet halls etc will have to operate with 50 per cent occupancy and close by 8 pm.

A maximum of 100 people are permitted at marriage functions, but this cap will be at 50 for those in municipal corporation and municipality areas till January 30.

All religious places will remain open till 8 pm, but offerings like garlands, prasad, chadar and other things are banned.
The night curfew will continue to remain in force from 11 pm to 5 am daily, the guidelines stated.

As many as 9,76,177 people have been tested Covid positive in the state. Of them, 8,972 have died and 9,47,738 were recovered.

Jodhpur reported 600 fresh cases while Karauli district reported none. Jaipur has the highest 9,683 active Covid cases.