The Meghalaya government has announced a five-day total lockdown in East Khasi Hills and a weekend lockdown for the other 10 districts to try and slow down the surge of Covid-19 cases in the state.
The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today.
The lockdown in East Khasi Hills will run from 8pm on May 5 to 5am on May 10. A ‘containment period’ was already in effect in the district but the steady rise in case numbers and Covid fatalities pushed the government to enforce more stringent measures.
There are over 2,100 active Coronavirus cases in the state, with East Khasi Hills accounting for nearly 1,400. The test positivity rate is also 17 per cent in Shillong and 12 per cent in the rest of the district. Bed occupancy in Shillong’s hospitals has reached 60 per cent.
“We are looking at a very serious situation and, therefore, a number of other steps will be taken to contain the situation,” Sangma said. “Although containment and restrictions that we have brought in Shillong and East Khasi Hills have somewhat brought down the movement of people, slowed down the process of transmission and have led to fewer gatherings of people, looking at the alarming rate at which the numbers are growing, we need to go for stricter measures in some locations.”
The lockdown means that local board exams for Class 10 and 12 students have been postponed to May 11 and 12 from May 6 and 7. Inter-state and inter-district movement of people has been banned. All major markets in East Khasi Hills will be closed during this period but essential goods will be made available through neighbourhood shops.
Weddings that have already been permitted may be held but they will be restricted to only family members and the total number should not exceed 20. Similarly, funerals are limited to 20 people but prior permission from the district administration is required.
“I had mentioned that as we come closer to the 5,000 active case number, it will start putting a lot of stress on our healthcare. Therefore, today we are at 2,000 and we don’t want to take a chance of coming anywhere close to 5,000 and that is the reason why we are taking this step. Therefore, these measures are required and I request our citizens to please cooperate with us and ensure these next five days we work carefully to ensure that this virus does not spread any further,” the CM said.
