Maharashtra has announced that it will introduce a seven-hour curfew on all cities and municipal divisions in the state. The curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. will be imposed from Tuesday, December 22, 2020, for 15 days until January 5, 2021.
What caused the curfew?
A high-level meeting convened by Maharashtra Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray decided to implement the night curfew in all cities in the state. The government has given two main reasons for the move.
Iqbal Singh Chahal, commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), said cases of violations of social distancing norms have been observed in Mumbai. To avoid an increase in Covid-19 cases during the upcoming New Year celebrations due to these violations, the curfew has been put in place. “This is not a normal New Year, so we cannot have normal festivals. The curfew is being imposed to ensure that such violations are not repeated, ”he said.
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The rapid rise in Covid-19 cases in the UK following the outbreak of a new mutation in the coronavirus has also raised concerns around the world. The Maharashtra government has said the move is a precautionary measure and has asked the population to remain vigilant for the next 15 days.
What are the new rules?
Chahal explained the difference between a full lockdown and a nightly curfew as follows: “During a lockdown, individuals cannot leave their homes. In a curfew, no more than 5 people can gather outdoors during the specified hours. So offices that function overnight or something like milk transport can continue to function. Taxis, cars and auto rickshaws are also driving as before. “
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Here are new changes due to the night lock:
• All cities and municipal departments will be closed for 7 hours from December 22, 2020 to January 5, 2021 from 11 pm to 6 am.
• More than five people cannot gather outside during the curfew. However, offices, taxis, cars and auto rickshaws are allowed to operate at night in accordance with applicable standards.
• All travelers arriving at Mumbai Airport from European countries and the Middle East will be placed under institutional quarantine.
• After the quarantine period, travelers are allowed to leave for their homes. Also, the RT-PCR Covid-19 test would be performed on these travelers on the fifth or seventh day.
• People from countries other than Europe and the Middle East would be prescribed home quarantine.
• Temporary institutional quarantine facilities near airports and hotels would be set up by the community commissioners.
• Air traffic between India and the UK was suspended on Monday and any flights already planned would carry nearly 1,000 passengers who would be transported to 2,000 hotel rooms arranged for them. Passengers with symptoms of Covid-19 would be taken to GT hospital.