GUWAHATI: Guwahati has been witnessing a weekend lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. Though the capital city of Assam headed towards unlocking after the total lockdown for 21 days, the city has been placed under lockdown on every Saturday and Sunday.
All the shops and business establishments barring pharmacies have kept their shutter down during the weekend lockdown. Pharmacies have been allowed to remain open on all the days of the week.
Vehicular movement has also been restricted. Though the city was limping back to normalcy with the beginning of ‘Unlock’, it wore a deserted look from Saturday. The city streets have been witnessing a limited vehicular movement on the weekend.
“The roads are almost empty during the weekend lockdown. No one should come outside unnecessarily whether there is a lockdown or not. As an emergency service worker, I can’t remain at home. But this is for the greater interest of the public,” said a journalist on his way to the office.
Among the 1165 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 353 cases were reported from Guwahati alone.
On the other hand, Golaghat district reported 100 cases on the same day. At present, the COVID-19 count in Assam stands at 31086.
Assam health minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged everyone to follow the precautions in preventing the spread of Coronavirus.
“Please follow precautions strictly,” Dr. Sarma mentioned in a tweet.
Along with Guwahati, other towns in the state are also observing weekend lockdown. Though there are reports of lockdown violation in some parts of the state, the authorities have left no stone unturned in ensuring the norms set by the government.
