Chief secretary of Assam issues new order; Extends night curfew, restrictions till May 7

Keeping in view the rising Covid positive cases in Assam for the last few weeks, the Assam Government via the State Executive Committee of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had announced guidelines to follow with effect from April 20 until May 2 throughout the state.

The guidelines restricted any form of business activities in places like shops, shopping malls, supermarkets, weekly markets to operate from 6 pm. Only takeaway and delivery services are allowed after 6 pm. Then again on April 27, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) had announced separate directives to adhere to which puts a total ban on movement of individuals from 8 pm to 5 am with immediate effect until May 2.

Now in a new order issued by the ASDMA today which shall come in force with immediate effect till May 7, 2021. Basically, this new order is just an official formality of extending the current set of directives beyond its initial stipulated period to last till May 7. The guidelines are as follows:

A. Containment Zones:

In case the test positivity of COVID-19 reaches 10% or more in the last one week or Bed Occupancy either oxygen supported or ICU beds crosses 60% in a large geographical area or a city or district or well-defined parts thereof, where cases are high and spiralling up drastically, district magistrates will decide on declaring such areas as containment zones and ensure necessary containment measures for COVID-19 as envisaged in MoHFW, Gol advisory dated 25th April 2021 annexed with MHA order dated 29th April 2021 (Annexure-A).

B. Gatherings:

1. Open functions to be allowed with the permission of the District Authority subject to strict adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour, including wearing face mask, maintaining respiratory etiquette, practising hand hygiene through frequent hand washing or hand sanitisers and maintain social distancing (6 feet). While granting such permission, District Authority will assess the public bearing capacity of the open space and allow gathering of only 50% of its capacity or 400 persons, whichever is lower.

2. In closed venues like marriage halls and other commercial centres, gatherings up to 50% of the seating capacity to be allowed.

3. No standing audience shall be allowed in open/closed venues.

4. Number of guests in Private functions at private venues (non-commercial) including marriages to be restricted to 100 persons.

5. Funeral / last rites related gatherings should ensure not more than 20 persons for each deceased.

6. Religious places/ places of worship should be allowed to be operated with 20 persons per hour, except the iconic religious places where it can be 50 persons per hour. However, if any religious place has only a small area, the management committee of such religious institution shall reduce the number of attendees accordingly.

7. All Market places/supermarkets/shops in the Malls / weekly market should be closed by 6.00 pm every day.

8. Restaurants, Dhabas and other eateries can entertain dine-in guest only up to 6.00 PM. However, takeaway home delivery of food is allowed up to 8.00 PM. Thereafter, only home delivery of food may be allowed up to the usual time of closure as per local regulations.

9. Restaurants operating within a Hotel or Resort can allow outside guests up to 6.00 PM only. However, in-house guests of the Hotel/Resort may be allowed to dine in up to the usual time of operation.

10. Delivery of goods through e-Commerce may continue after 6.00 PM.

11. Cold storages and warehouses may continue beyond 6.00 PM. However, sale counters, showrooms etc. attached to these warehouses or cold storages shall close after 6.00 PM.

12. Pharmacies, Hospitals, Animal Care Centres and Veterinary clinics may operate without restrictions being providers of essential and emergency services.

C. Work Places (Government and Private):

1. Working from home and virtual working should be encouraged.

2. Except officers, only 50% of employees can work from the office. However, this will not be applicable for organizations rendering Essential/Emergency Services, Law Enforcement Services and Election work.

3. Meetings in the official chambers to be discouraged.

4. Pregnant women employees and women with children of 5 years or below working under any Government / PSU / Financial Institutions / Private Organizations irrespective of their grade shall be eligible to work from home.

5. Persons with disabilities (PwDs) working in any Government/PSU/ Financial Institutions/Private organizations shall be exempted from attending duties in consonance with the O.M No.11013/9/2014/Estt. (A.III) dated 1st April 2020 issued by DoPT, Gol. However, they may be encouraged to work from home.

6. Social distancing at workplaces should be ensured through adequate gaps between shifts, staggering of lunch breaks of staff etc.

7. Provision for thermal scanning, hand wash and sanitiser be made at all entry and exit points and common areas. In addition, sufficient quantities of handwash and sanitiser should be made available in the workplaces.

8. Frequent sanitization of the entire workplace, common facilities and all points which come into human contact should be carried out.

D. Educational Institutions (Government and Private):

1. All Educational Institutions including Schools/Colleges/Universities must provide quality virtual options.

2. Not more than 50% of students should attend in person on any day.

3. Schools should stagger class timings so that large-scale release of students does not arise.

4. There will be no morning assembly/special assembly etc. in the educational institutions.

5. Preference to be given on online mode of teaching for primary classes.

6. Education Department will issue detailed guideline/SOP for uninterrupted education service keeping in view of the COVID-19 precautionary measures.

E. Public Transport (Government and Private):

1. All Public transport authorities shall enforce COVID-19 appropriate behaviour seating inside the vehicles, carriers, containers etc.

2. Auto Rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis shall operate with one driver and two passengers maintaining social distancing.

3. City buses, Intra-district, Inter-district and Inter-state buses will be allowed to operate with 50% of seating capacity.

4. No passenger shall be allowed to travel standing in the vehicle.

5. Wearing of mask and observance of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour will be mandatory for all passengers.

6. Wearing of face mask is mandatory even for a single person driving a vehicle. In case of persons travelling in any private car, up to 100 % of its seating capacity, wearing of face mask is mandatory for all the persons.

F. Night Curfew:

There shall be a total ban on movement of individuals from 8.00 PM to 5.00 AM daily, except for exemptions as follows:

1. All Officials and persons, both government and private involved in emergency services such as Health and Family Welfare and all related medical establishments, Police, Prisons, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Fire and emergency services, District Administration, Pay & Account Office, Electricity, Water and Sanitation, Public Transport (Air/Railways/Buses) including all incidental services/activities that are essential for smooth functioning of all modes of public transport (such as handling cargo, ticketing, air freight station, CFS, ICD etc.), Disaster Management and related services, NIC, NCC and Municipal services, and all other essential services on production of valid Identity card. The uninterrupted delivery of public services shall be ensured by the concerned departments/agencies.

2. All Judicial officers/officials of courts of Assam on the production of valid Identity card.

3. All private medical personnel such as doctors, nursing staff, paramedical staff, etc. and other hospital services (such as hospitals, diagnostic centres, clinics, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and other medical & health services)

4. Pregnant women and patients for getting medical /health services.

5. Person coming from/going to Airports/Railway stations/ISBTs allowed to travel on the production of a valid ticket.

6. Officers/officials related to the functioning of offices of Diplomats of various countries as well as persons holding any constitutional post on the production of valid Identity card.

7. Electronic and print Media on production of valid Identity card.

8. There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intrastate movement/transportation of essential/non-essential goods. No separate permission / e pass will be required for such movements.

9. Movement of persons related to commercial and private establishments providing the following essential services/commodities shall be allowed:

i) Shops dealing with food, groceries, fruits & vegetables, dairy & milk booths, meat & fish, animal fodder, pharmaceuticals, medicines and medical equipment.

ii) Banks, Insurance offices and ATMs.

iii) Telecommunications, Internet services, Broadcasting and Cable services, IT and IT-enabled services.

iv) Delivery of all essential goods including food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment through e-commerce.

v) Petrol pumps, LPG, CNG, petroleum and gas retail and storage outlets.

vi) Power generation, transmission and distribution units and services.

vii) Cold storage and warehousing services.

viii) Private security services.

ix) Manufacturing units of essential commodities.

x) Production units or services, which require continuous process 10. Persons who are going for COVID-19 vaccination.

xi) All the officials/persons entrusted with election-related works either by Government authorities or by private enterprises or by the authorities of any political party or contesting candidate on the production of a valid Identity card/engagement letter/appointment order/work order.

xii) All the employees/persons involved in operations related to forestry under the Environment & Forest department on the production of valid Identity card.

G. Miscellaneous:

1. Wearing of face mask is compulsory in all public places.

2. Shop owners shall ensure a minimum six feet distance among customers and shall not allow more than 5 persons inside the shop. In addition, shop owners should compulsorily keep sanitisers and hand wash in their shops.

3. Shopkeepers and customers shall have to wear masks, hand gloves and maintain social distancing. Responsibility for maintenance of social distancing will be on the shop owner and failure to do so will be viewed very seriously and may entail summary closure of defaulting shops.

4. Barbershops, salons and parlours shall continue to provide service with strict compliance of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour such as wearing of face masks, face cover, hand gloves.

5. Industrial units and Tea gardens may function subject to observance of COVID appropriate behaviour Head of the unit/tea garden shall be responsible for ensuring social distancing, mask-wearing by workers and staff, sanitization of industrial premises, thermal scanning etc.

6. Following Advisories earlier issued by ASDMA shall be strictly enforced –

a) Advisory for Daily & Weekly Markets/ Haat-Bazaars issued vide Order No.ASDMA 20/2020/Pt/217dt.14.07.2020 (Annexure-l)

b) Advisory for Engagement of Domestic Help issued vide Order No ASDMA 20/2020/Pt/187 dt. 20.05.2020 (Annexure-II)

c) Advisory for Apartment Societies for COVID-19 prevention issued vide Order No.ASDMA 23/2020/03 dt. 27.03.2020 (Annexure-III)

d) Advisory for elderly people issued vide Order No.ASDMA 23/2020/08 dt. 31.03.2020 (Annexure-IV)

H. Community Engagement:

District Authorities will coordinate with the local level NGOs/CBOS/CSOs, Opinion Makers for effective compliance with the regulations above.

I. Penal Provisions:

1. Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Sec. 188 of IPC and other legal provisions as applicable.

2. Any person not wearing a face mask and/ or spitting in public places shall be fined to the tune of Rs.1000/- vide ASDMA’s earlier Order No. ASDMA/24/2020/Part-1/122 dt. 14/10/2020 which can be imposed by District wise Task Force comprising of District Disaster Management Authority, Magistracy, Police, Enforcement wing of District Transport Officer and Enforcement wing of Guwahati Municipal Corporation in their respective jurisdictions.

The notification was duly signed by Jishnu Barua, IAS, Chairperson of the State Executive Committee of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority.