Covid -19: Assam invokes Epidemic Act

GUWAHATI: To combat the COVID-19, Assam government has invoked Epidemic Act 1897 to prevent the spread of disease. Assam government has decided to transfer $2000 to those people from Assam stranded outside the country.
Following the pandemic, Assam state Election commission has deferred election to Bodoland Territorial Council. Election was slated for April 4. Assam government and opposition Congress had sought deferment of polls to the sixth schedule council.

Assam health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma while stating there is no case of COVID-19 in Assam on Friday said, “People from Assam who have gone outside the country in last 30 days and got stranded, we will send them $2000 as an initial amount. We will issue an email on Saturday where they can apply. Even those people whose visa and passport has expired during these period can write to us, we will assist in renewing the same.”

State government has ordered cancellation of all exams.

He said, “We have invoked Epidemic Act, health authorities are taking control of the situation and ordered of health department are binding. There will no exam of any kind till March 31.”

The state government has asked 50 percent of its employees on rotation basis to work from home however this order will exempt those employees who are engaged in essential service.

Sarma said, “We will soon introduce hand stamping of those persons who arrive here by railways and airways to maintain social distancing. In passenger vehicles there cannot be any passenger standing. All passenger vehicles will carry passengers as per the sitting capacity.”

He added, “Shops in shopping malls are asked to ensure no more than 50 persons are there. Guwahati Municipal Corporation is assessing as to what should be comfortable number of people in a mall and we will accordingly implement the same. Crowded market places are asked to ensure that there is no crowding".

Government of Meghalaya has imposed restrictions in movement of public transport and to close all shops, markets and establishments from midnight of 20th March to midnight of 21st March.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said that 21st March, 2020 is to be observed as Corona virus Awareness day (CAD) where all offices, banks (government and private), institutions, public places, market places and public transport will remain closed. “I urge citizens to not look at this as a “Lockdown” but this time must be utilized and observed as a ‘Coronavirus Awareness Day’ to understand and prevent the spread of coronavirus disease in the state by playing our part as individuals, families, locality and society at large”.