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Omicron alert: Night curfew to start in Bihar today, check what's allowed
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said last week the third wave of Covid-19 has already begun in the state and that all required arrangements are being made in order to “save people” from the same.
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The night curfew in Bihar from 10pm to 5am amid increasing cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will come into effect from today for 15 days till January 21. The decision was announced on Tuesday following a meeting of the crisis management group (CMG) chaired by chief minister Nitish Kumar.
As part of the Covid-19 restrictions, the Bihar government has ordered closure of parks, gyms, swimming pools and malls for the fortnight. However, during the meeting on Tuesday, authorities decided against imposing a complete lockdown in the eastern state.
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According to the Bihar Covid-19 bulletin, as many as 1,659 people tested positive for the virus on Wednesday, taking the total case count of the state to 730,425. The active caseload in the state stands at 3,697.
Bihar was one of several states and Union territories (UTs) in the country, which observed a muted New Year celebrations owing to the curbs imposed by the state government. Last week, the ruling dispensation ordered closure of all parks in the state between December 31 and January 2, and no public celebrations for New Year were allowed in any park.
Kumar said the third wave of Covid-19 has started in Bihar and that all “necessary arrangements are being made to save people from it,” according to Hindustan Times' sister publication Livehindustan.
Kumar has decided to cancel his ongoing Samaj Sudhar Yatra (social reforms campaign), which commenced on December 22 and will conclude on January 15 as well as the weekly Janata Darbar. This came after as many as 11 people at the chief minister's weekly town hall meeting tested positive for coronavirus.
Notably, Bihar reported its first Omicron case last week after a 26-year-old man, who recently visited Delhi after coming back to India, tested positive for the new variant of Covid-19. He went to meet a relative in Delhi, who was found to be infected with Omicron a day after the man returned to his hometown in Bihar's capital Patna.
Here's a list of what's not allowed during the fortnight Covid-19 curbs:
- All parks, gyms, swimming pools and malls will remain shut.
- Schools for students of classes up to grade 8 will stay shut as per earlier orders. They can, however, continue with online classes.
- Physical classes in coaching centres cannot be held.
- Visitors have been barred from entering the premises of government and private offices.
- All religious places have been shut.
Here's a list of what's allowed during the fortnight Covid-19 curbs:
- Schools for students of class 9 to 12 can operate with 50 per cent attendance.
- Attendance in government and private offices has been limited at 50 per cent.
- Hotels and restaurants to run with 50 per cent capacity.
- Only 50 people have been permitted at weddings and 20 at funerals.
- All shops have been directed to close by 8pm.
- All social, religious and cultural functions have been capped at 50 per cent capacity with an upper limit of 50 persons.
