Here's a roundup of the top COVID-19 related news and announcements from the North East States on April 21.
Free Vaccination in Assam
The Assam government will vaccinate everyone in the 18-45 age group for free from May 1 onwards, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday. Donations received last year for COVID management will be utilised for the purpose, he said. The state Health Department has already written to Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech for procuring 1 crore vaccines. "Today itself, we've placed orders for 1 cr doses with @BharatBiotech," he added.
Non-essential shops, college, varsities, shut in Shillong
The Meghalaya government on Wednesday announced shutting down of colleges and universities in state capital Shillong till May 3 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Shops dealing in non-essential items in Shillong will also be closed from April 26 to May 2, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said.
"Colleges and universities in the state capital have been asked to shut down till May 3 except for those that are hosting state board examinations," Tynsong told reporters. The Meghalaya government has already shut down schools from the primary level to the higher secondary level. Gyms, swimming pools, gaming parlours, cinemas, clubs, salons and bars of Shillong will remain closed till April 30.
Night curfew in Agartala from April 22
The Tripura government has decided to impose a seven-hour night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area from Thursday onwards for an indefinite period to contain the spread of COVID-19, a notification said. The capital city has been reporting most of the coronavirus cases in the state.
The order issued by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar said that essential services have been exempted from the purview of the curfew. Various recruitment examinations, including Joint Recruitment Board of Manpower and Employment Department and physical test of the IR battalion, however, stand postponed.
The government has also imposed restrictions on gatherings in closed places, allowing a maximum of 50 per cent hall occupancy with a ceiling of 100 people in marriages and 20 in funerals.
(MExN with PTI inputs)
