Shillong: Meghalaya has imposed a series of fresh Covid-related restrictions from January 5 (Wednesday) in view of the rapid surge of Omnicron cases throughout the country.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday undertook a comprehensive review of the Covid-19 situation in the State and decided to reimposed restrictions in which curfew timings have been extended, gatherings, movements within and outside would also be affected.
The likely restrictions would put restrictions on the number of people who would be allowed to attend weddings, funerals, and other events.
Further restrictions would be imposed on movement of people within the state in the form of having an odd-even system in place for private vehicles.
Moreover, entry into the state would require a 72 hour valid negative COVID report, despite being double vaccinated.
The government has also announced a night curfew from 10 pm. Although the finer details of these restrictions would be known later, the night curfew is likely to be in place from 10 pm to 5 am.
“It is important to impose restrictions now since there is no single cases of Omicron in the state.
It’s inevitable,” Sangma said, adding that the notification related to these restrictions would be issued by the respective Deputy Commissioners later and the restrictions would come into effect from January 5.
“Omicron is spreading very fast throughout the country. The speed at which it’s spreading is alarming, so we are putting in these restrictions,” the Chief Minister informed.
Meanwhile, Sangma said, the state has spent substantial funds to ramp up the health infrastructure all through last year.
He however couldn’t provide the details of the funds utilised by the state sanctioned by the centre under the Emergency COVID Response Package (ECRP-II.)
The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has asked all the states to ramp up the state health infrastructure by utilising the ECRP-II fund. States have utilised just 17-20 percent of this fund so far.
“We have substantially ramped up the health infrastructure. In fact we have also funded private hospitals in the state,” Sangma said when asked about ECRP-II fund utilisation.
