COVID-19: Puducherry extends lockdown till May 3

Amid the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Union Territory of Puducherry on Tuesday decided to continue the lockdown till May 3.

"The curfew will between 2 pm to 5 am till May 3," said Purva Garg, Puducherry District Collector.

Earlier, the UT administration had imposed lockdown till April 26.

The District Collector informed that 1,500 people are in hospital and 6,300 are in home isolation and on Tuesday around 1000 samples tested positive out of 6500 samples.

"Because of the increasing covid cases, we have put in place certain restrictions and certain areas where the number of cases are very high we have also set up micro-contaminant zones," she said.

Accordingly, provision stores, vegetable and fruits shops, groceries, dairy and milk booth, meat and fish, mal fodder will function. Big format shops, shopping complexes and malls, selling food items and provisions do not have permission to operate during this period.

Routine maintenance of the malls and other closed establishments is permitted.

"Restaurants and eateries cannot offer dine-in services and only home delivery and takeaway are permitted. Even teashops are disallowed to operate. In hotels and lodges, food is to be served to the guests in their rooms and not in the restaurants attached," she said.

Garg further said that hospitals, medical labs, pharmaceuticals, opticians, medicines and medical equipment, distribution of newspapers, ambulance and hearse vehicle services, medical and its allied activities, all medical emergency cases are permitted.

"Goods transport and public passenger transport, vehicles carrying agricultural produce of farmers, agriculture and its allied activities will be permitted. Rental vehicles and taxis including cab aggregation are permitted to ply with three passengers with a driver. Autos are permitted to ply with two passengers excluding the driver," added the District Collector.

All religious places will be closed for public worship and only essential rituals will be permitted by the staff of the religious place.

However, religious congregations are prohibited, marriages can happen with to 50 people while funerals cannot have over 25 participants.

Industrial production units have been permitted to operate.

Furthermore essential services will be permitted like petrol pump, banks, insurance offices, ATMs, media, electricity supply tele-communication, cold storages, warehouses, fire, e-commerce and election-related work.

Apart from this, people involved in government essential services will be allowed with their ID cards.

"Police and local administrations will be strictly enforcing these directions. We seek the cooperation of public in this regard," she added.

Puducherry reported 1,021 active cases of Covid-19 till yesterday, according to the Puducherry Directorate of Health and Family Welfare.

The COVID-19 situation in India has been worsening amid the second wave of coronavirus infections. For the past four days, the country has been reporting in over three lakh coronavirus infections and over 1,000 related deaths on a daily basis.

( With inputs from ANI )