GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Saturday issued a directive to all districts that in case COVID-19 positivity in any area reached more than 10 cases in the last seven days, the authorities will notify such areas as total containment zones.
Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the State Disaster Management Authority, ordered that areas with more that 10 cases in the last seven days will be notified by the District Magistrates as total containment zones in consultation with the Director of National Health Mission.
In the total containment zones, only emergency services will continue round-the-clock while essential services including shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder will remain open upto 5 pm.
Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipments through e-commerce in such areas will continue round-the-clock.
It has been observed that in some of the districts, the positivity in the last seven days has been high as compared to other districts and depending upon the caseload, these have been divided into three categories of high, moderate and those showing improvement in caseload.
The high positivity districts are Morigaon, Biswanath, Goalpara and Bokakhat (Civil) Sub Division under Golaghat District, the moderate positivity districts are Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa, Bajali, Kamrup, Darang, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Hojai, Golaghat and Sarupathar Subdivision, Jorhat, Sibasagar, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Cachar, Karimganj, Karbi Anglong and Dibrugarh.
While districts showing improvement are Kamrup Metropolitan, South Salmara, Majuli, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Udalguri, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Charaideo and Hailakandi.
The curfew time for high positivity districts will be round-the-clock, for moderate positivity districts from 2 PM to 5 PM and for districts showing improvement from 5 PM to 5 AM.
Workplace, business/commercial establishments, shops will be closed in high positivity districts, will be open up to I PM for moderate positivity districts and up to 4 PM for districts showing improvement.
Shops dealing with groceries, fruits and vegetables, dairy and milk booths, animal fodder will be open up to 5 PM high positivity districts, up to I PM for moderate positivity districts and up to 4 PM for districts showing improvement.
All Government employees (including contractual and fixed pay) who have taken at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine shall attend office except in total containment areas while private sector entities may take their own decision about attendance of their employees on this account.
Employees who have not taken vaccines will have to attend office as and when their services are required by respective authorities.
Employees engaged in emergency / essential services shall attend their duty without any restrictions at any place.
There will be a total ban on movement of all public and private transport in the total containment districts.
However, movement of goods shall continue.
Inter-district passenger transport shall remain suspended across the state while intra-district transport with 50 per cent seating capacity and observance of COVID appropriate behaviour may be allowed.
Teachers and faculty members need not attend their respective institutions but if the district administration engages them in COVID -19 or flood relief related emergency duties, they will have to attend their assigned duties.
Other restrictions include odd- even formula for plying of vehicles and exemptions as notified June 4 and June 21, 2021 shall continue to remain in force except those specifically modified by this order.
The order will come into operation across the state from 5 a.m of June 28 and will remain in force until further order.
Assam's COVID-19 tally jumped to 4,99,121 as 2,640 more people tested positive for the virus on Saturday, while 33 new fatalities pushed the death toll to 4,403, the National Health Mission (NHM) bulletin said.
Dibrugarh district reported 8 deaths, followed by Nagaon(6), three each from Sonitpur and Tinsukia and two each from Barpeta and Kamrup Metro.
Baksa, Biswanath, Darrang, Golaghat, Hojai, Kokrajhar, Karimganj, Nalbari and Sivasagar district reported one death each, it said.
Of the 2,640 new COVID-19 cases detected during the day, Golaghat district reported 266 cases, Sonitpur (237), Jorhat (175), Kamrup Metro (172), the bulletin said.
The new cases were detected out of 1,27,887 tests conducted in the day with the daily positivity rate at 2.01 per cent while the cumulative tests conducted in the state so far is 1,44,67,443.
Assam currently has 27,565 active COVID-19 cases, while 4,65,806 people have recovered from the disease, including 3,499 on Saturday.
The COVID-19 recovery rate now is 93.12 per cent.
The bulletin said the cumulative total beneficiaries vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccine in the state so far is 68,33,987 which include 56,52,309 receiving the first dose and 11,81,678 the second dose.