BackGujarat: Night curfew extended till 18 May amid Covid-19 surge. Details here
The night curfew, in place from 8 pm to 6 am in 36 cities of Gujarat, has been extended by another week till 18 MayThe decision was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani after a meeting of the government's core group on the pandemic
PremiumAmid an unprecedented surge in the Covid-19 cases, the Gujarat government on Tuesday extended the night curfew in 36 cities of the state.
The night curfew, which is in place from 8 pm to 6 am in 36 cities of Gujarat has been extended by another week till 18 May.
The curfew between 8 pm to 6 am in 36 cities including Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara, imposed on 6 May, will be in force till 18 May, said a government release. Originally it was to last till 12 May.
The decision was taken by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani after a meeting of the government's core group on the pandemic.
During the day, the shops selling essential things including medicines, milk and vegetables will be allowed to remain open in these 36 cities.
Vegetable and fruit markets, grocery shops, tiffin services, bakeries, takeaway counters at hotels and restaurants, petrol and CNG pumps can also remain open.
Newspaper distribution, telecom services, security services, postal services, transport and e-commerce services are allowed. Factories can continue to run and construction activities can go on.
Educational institutions, auditoriums, theatres, malls, community halls, water parks, commercial complexes, spas, gyms, gardens, swimming pools, beauty parlours will remain closed.
As in the previous week, there will be a total ban on all kinds of religious, political or social gatherings across the state.
While religious places will remain shut for the public between May 12 and 18, sports complexes and stadiums can remain open without spectators, said the release.
'Action plan against Covid 3rd wave soon'
Based on the state administration's experience in dealing with the first and second waves of coronavirus in Gujarat, a detailed action plan will be chalked out in the coming days to tackle a possible third wave, said Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday.
In view of the possibility of the "third wave" hitting India, as predicted by healthcare experts, the CM held a meeting with top doctors, who are part of the government's task force on COVID-19, and scientists of the Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) here to formulate a state-level strategy, said an official release.
During the meeting, it was decided to chalk out a detailed action plan in the coming days to tackle the possible third wave by strengthening health infrastructure, increase the number of oxygen-equipped beds and formulate treatment protocols for a better response, it said.
Rupani told participants that the focus in the third wave will be to minimise both deaths as well as coronavirus infections, according to the release.
He stressed that mass vaccination against COVID-19 holds the key to effectively tackle the new wave.
Gujarat Covid update
Meanwhile, Gujarat has reported 11,592 Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 6,92,604 on Monday, while the day also saw 14,931 recoveries and 117 deaths, an official said.
The toll in the state stands at 8,511, and the recovery count is 5,47,935, which is 79.11% of the overall tally, leaving it with 1,36,158 active cases, including 792 on ventilator support.
"Ahmedabad saw 3,263 new cases during the day, the highest in the state, followed by 1,230 in Vadodara, 1,092 in Surat, 572 in Rajkot, 565 in Jamnagar, 507 in Mehsana, 338 in Bhavnagar and 269 in Gandhinagar," he said.
Ahmedabad also accounted for 20 deaths, followed by Jamnagar with 14, Vadodara 12, Surat and Rajkot 11 each, eight in Junagadh, he added.
An official release said 1,37,49,335 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 2,07,700 on Monday, of which 29,817 were in the 18-44 age group.
It said 33,55,185 people have been given the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as well.
In Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, 63 Covid-19 cases and 193 recoveries were reported on Monday, taking its tally to 9,075, including four deaths, and the recovery count to 7,702.
An official said the UT has an active caseload of 1,369.
Gujarat's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 6,92,604, new cases 11,592, death toll 8,511, discharged 5,47,935, active cases 1,36,158, people tested so far - figures not released.
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