OUR REPORTER AIZAWL, JUNE 18
The Mizoram government on Friday extended lockdown with some relaxations for another 10 days till 4 am of June 30 as the rising Covid-19 cases continue to remain unabated.
The existing lockdown is scheduled to be lifted at 4 am on June 21.
The order issued on Friday said that the prolonged total lockdown has affected livelihood activities for which the state government has decided to lift certain restrictions in order to ease the hardship faced by the public.
It is also decided to re-open activities in a staggered manner so as to strike balance between economic activities and disease containment measure thereby preventing further escalation of Covid-19 cases, the order said.
According to the order, people in Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) area are not allowed to step out of their house or compound during lockdown barring employees who will attend offices, exempted categories and those having person to move outside.
In areas outside the AMC jurisdiction, deputy commissioners will impose restrictions akin to the one imposed in AMC area depending on the Covid-19 situation, the order said.
No village or locality should announce lockdown or curfew of containment zone on their own and they should consult district administrations if need for such restrictions arises, it said. There is no restriction on intervillage movement outside AMC area and all economic and livelihood activities will function normally in such areas, the order said.
As for AMC area, hops dealing with essential commodities will be allowed to open every morning between 5 am and 8 am and those dealing with agricultural seeds and equipment are also allowed to open every day from 5 am to 5 pm, it said.
Shops dealing with school textbooks, motor workshops and spare parts will open on Tuesday and those dealing with construction materials, computers, mobile phones will be opened on Friday.
Shops other than mentioned, will be divided into A and B groups by local level task forces with the help of district administrations.
While group-A shops will open on Tuesday, group- B shops on Friday, the order said. Vegetable and meat markets are allowed to open on Friday between 5 am and 5 pm, it said. Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, laboratories, pharmacies, dispensaries, bank and non-banking financial institutions, post offices, filling stations, LPG store houses, fair price shop, animal feed store, among others, are exempted from lockdown.
All places of worship, educational institutions, public parks, picnic spots, movie theatres, gymnasiums, community halls, restaurants, shopping complexes and malls will continue to remain close in all parts of the state.
(Source: Source: The Mizoram Post Vol. 19 Issue 23 Aizawl Saturday 19 June 2021 http://www.themizorampost.net/page-view?date=19-06-2021&page_no=1)