Mumbai has banned large gatherings and announced a night curfew.
New Delhi:
Three metropolitan areas, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, and several states, including Punjab and Kerala, have announced restrictions including large gatherings and a nightly curfew for New Year’s Eve in light of the coronavirus outbreak. The Center has recommended restrictions to keep high concentrations to a minimum as the highly infectious British strain of the virus appeared in the country. As of yesterday, 20 people, all of whom recently returned from the UK, were found to have contracted the new bug. There will be no restrictions in Bengal and Chandigarh.
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In Delhi, a nightly curfew has been declared from 11 pm and 6 am. “New Years celebration events, congregations and gatherings will not be allowed in public places from 11 pm on December 31 to 6 am on January 1 and 11 pm on January 1 and 6 am on January 2” stated the Delhi Disaster Management Authority. However, the movement of traffic will not be restricted.
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A night curfew with similar hours has also been announced in Mumbai. Large gatherings have been prohibited, but there will be no restrictions on visiting friends, family and public places in groups of four. Wearing face masks and social distancing will remain mandatory, Mumbai police said, warning that drones will be used for surveillance.
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In Bengaluru, ban orders banning large gatherings will be imposed from noon today, the city police commissioner said.
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Chennai has also banned large gatherings, especially on beaches and roads. The popular Marina Beach, Elliots Beach and other beaches have been closed. Hotels and bars must close at 10 pm. Hotels have been asked to verify visitor credentials. Puducherry has allowed the celebration on the beaches with regular rules.
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With Chennai registering a case of the new mutant virus, the state government will deploy 10,000 police officers to ensure restrictions are not violated. Additionally, 945 people tested positive for Covid in the state on Wednesday, bringing the number of active cases to 8,615.
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Bengal has called for peaceful and disciplined celebrations, saying that extremes such as night curfews “are not perceived as mandatory.” “It is not necessary to take extreme measures, but we urge caution during the New Year celebrations … It is best to maintain a careful middle way,” said the Chief Secretary of State.
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In Chandigarh there will be no special restrictions either. “A review meeting was held; there is no overnight curfew in Chandigarh on New Years Eve as there is a decrease in positive Covid cases in time,” Deputy Governor Vice President Badnore tweeted.
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A night curfew will be established in Punjab. Amarinder Singh’s government decided to lift it as of January 1 and advised the public to follow appropriate Covid behavior. The night curfew is in effect today from 10 pm to 5 am in all cities and towns and hotels, restaurants, matrimonial palaces will be closed at 9:30 pm The maximum limit of 100 people and 250 people in all indoor social gatherings and exteriors in the state will be applicable only until tonight.
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On Monday, the Union Ministry of the Interior called on states to take appropriate measures to control any possible increase in infection during the celebrations. “The number of active Covid-19 cases is steadily decreasing in the country over the last three and a half months. Considering the new increase in Covid-19 cases in Europe and America, there is still a need to maintain a comprehensive precaution and strict surveillance within our country, “wrote a senior official to the states.
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During the last 24 hours, the country registered 21,822 coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 1.02 crore, data from the Union Ministry of Health showed. The number of recent infections is six percent higher than Wednesday, when the country recorded 20,549 new cases. The number of fatalities increased by 299, bringing the total to 1,48,738.
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