The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday extended coronavirus disease (Covid-19)-related restrictions, including night curfew, in the state till August 21 with more than half of the districts reporting a rise in infections.
State principal secretary (health) Anil Kumar Singhal said the curfew between 10pm and 6am that was scheduled to come to an end on August 14, has been extended till August 21. He said the decision was taken after an extensive review of the Covid-19 situation in the state.
“Following Covid-appropriate behaviour is a must at all congregations. Any violation will attract action as per the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC),” Singhal said, adding the cap on gatherings would also remain in place.
He also directed commissioners, superintendents of police, and district collectors to strictly enforce all restrictions across the state.
Also Read | Covid-19 fear: Family in Andhra Pradesh locks itself for 15 months
However, schools in Andhra Pradesh for the current academic session of 2021-22 will resume classes on Monday. The decision to reopen schools was taken by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after chairing a high-level review meeting in July.
{{/usCountry}}However, schools in Andhra Pradesh for the current academic session of 2021-22 will resume classes on Monday. The decision to reopen schools was taken by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after chairing a high-level review meeting in July.
{{/usCountry}}Restrictions in place
1. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) will continue in the state even during non-curfew hours, Singh said.
2. Not more than 150 people will be permitted to attend social gatherings and functions, including marriages and religious events.
Current Covid-19 situation in Andhra Pradesh
The southern state is one of the top five most-affected states in India at the moment with the active case count standing at 17,865. As many as 1,506 new cases were reported on Sunday, taking the overall tally of the state to 19,93,697, the state Covid-19 bulletin data showed. With 16 new fatalities, the death toll in Andhra Pradesh climbed up to 13,647. A total of 1,835 fresh recoveries have taken the number of recovered cases in the state to 19,59,290.
Some districts such as East Godavari, Chittoor, Nellore, West Godavari, Guntur and Prakasam reported more than 100 new cases on Sunday. East Godavari reported the highest number of fresh infections with 319 cases, followed by Chittoor with 217 cases, the bulletin revealed.