Movement of vehicles continues in Muzaffarpur despite COVID-19 lockdown

The movement of vehicles continues near Chandani Chowk area in Muzaffarpur district on Thursday, despite coronavirus-induced lockdown in the state.

The movement of vehicles continues near Chand Chowk area in Muzaffarpur district on Thursday, despite coronavirus-induced lockdown in the state.

All transport is suspended in the state except taxis-autos, private vehicles for permitted activities, essential service providers, and transport of goods.

Earlier this week, the Bihar government decided to enforce lockdown in the state from July 16 to 31 in view of rising COVID-19 cases. A state government release said there is "an alarming surge" in COVID-19 cases in the State of Bihar in last three weeks and positivity rate has also been considerably high.

The guidelines said, while the offices of the central government and its subordinate/autonomous offices will remain closed, services like "defence, central armed police forces, treasury, public utilities (including petroleum, CNG, LPG, PNG), disaster management, power generation and transmission units, post offices, National Informatics Centre, early warning agencies," have been exempted and will continue their services.

Police, home guards, civil defence, fire and emergency services, disaster management and those related to election work and prisons have also been exempted.

According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Bihar stand at 20, 612, including 6,970 active cases.

( With inputs from ANI )