Uttarakhand announces 'Covid Curfew' from April 26 to May 3 in Dehradun amid rising cases

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand state government on Sunday late evening announced 'Covid Curfew' from April 26-May 3, 2021 in selected urban area of Dehradun amid rising Covid-19 cases in the state. 

Tirath Singh Rawat after a review meeting of the Covid situation in the state said, "Safety of the people is paramount everything else comes afterward. We will win this for sure. I appeal people to adhere to Covid safe behaviour and keep get vaccinated."

The move is significant as 33.69% of total Covid cases in the state are from the Dehradun district only. Out of total of 35,864 active cases till Sunday evening, 12,084 were from Dehradun only. 

The government also sanctioned seven new Oxygen plants on Sunday to be set up to deal with Oxygen shortage in the state amid the second Covid 19 wave. 

Other decisions to curb Covid 19 cases in the state involved canceling board examinations of Class 10, and 12, the appointment of a senior IAS officer as a nodal officer for transportation of Oxygen in all 13 districts of the hill state in a smooth manner among others. 

Interestingly, the yatra of Shri Hemkunt Sahib, a Sikh Shrine located in Chamoli district near Valley of Flowers has also been postponed by Gurudwara Shri Hemkunt Sahib Management Trust given the second wave of Covid 19 pandemic. The yatra was scheduled to start on May 10. 

Uttarakhand High Court will also remain closed till May 2, 2021, only to resume working from May 3.

However, urgent matters will be heard. The notification dated April 25, 2021, stated, "Where due to extreme urgency, arising from extraordinary circumstances, hearing of a matter can not wait till 03.05.2021, the Advocate concerned may request for hearing in the aforesaid period. Advocates may send their request through e-mail to the e-mail address of the Hon'ble Court, along with details of the facts of the case justifying the extraordinary circumstances that matter be taken up by the Court, despite its being closed." 

Total 4368 new Covid cases surfaced in Uttarakhand on Thursday taking the total active cases count in the state to 65864. The recovery rate further came down to 72.90% with a positivity rate of 4.25% across the state. 

Meanwhile, the state has vaccinated total of 15,30,198 people out of which 3,36,700 have got a second dosage of the vaccine too. 

Meanwhile, to check the black marketing of essential medicines such as Remdesivir, the state government has also fixed the price of the drug at Rs 2464. 

The move comes after an acute shortage of the drug which prompted black marketing of the vials selling it up to Rs 30000. 

To check any further black marketing, the state police has issued a number (9411112780) for people to complain through Whatsapp about those involved in selling Remdesivir, Oxygen, and other medicines at inflated rates.

The identity of the complainant will be kept secret, said the state police department officials.