"Shop by Sunday": Two-week complete lockdown in Guwahati till July 14

Guwahati : Assam government on Friday announced "total lockdown" in Guwahati from Monday for two weeks after registering sharp surge in the number of coronavirus cases in last 10 days.

Only pharmacies and hospitals will be allowed to open in the city, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this afternoon as he stressed: "Please finish your shopping by Sunday."

"A total lockdown will be observed in Kamrup (Metro) district for two weeks from Sunday midnight. For the first seven days, only pharmacies and hospitals will be open. Everything else will be shut," the 51-year-old minister said during a virtual press conference this afternoon. Guwahati is a part of the district.

A 12-hour night-curfew - between 7 pm and 7 am - will be observed across the state from Friday, he added.

The state will also impose complete lockdown in towns and municipal areas on weekend from Saturday every week; only emergency services will be allowed.

For those who are scheduled to travel to other states by planes and trains, Air or rail tickets can be used as passes.

The implementation will be during the first week and the government will consider relaxations on Friday after taking note of the situation.

The city has recorded 677 new infections since June 15, which prompted the state to take the decision. Of 276 fresh infections reported in the state on Thursday, 133 were from Guwahati, Mr Sarma said today, news agency PTI reported.

"We are now left with no choice but to impose a complete lockdown, and this time it will be very strict as no grocery shops will be allowed to open, supply of vegetables and other essentials will not be permitted for the first seven days. This was the only solution to break the chain of transmission," he said, indicating that this may be the strictest lockdown the city has seen since the beginning of the pandemic.