Partial curfew to continue in Vizag till 30 June with new relaxation timings

Witnessing the decline in the number of Covid-19 cases in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh Government has decided to continue the partial curfew and extend the relaxation timings till 6 PM. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Friday, made the announcement that the partial curfew in Andhra Pradesh will continue till 30 June 2021. The new relaxation timings will come into effect from 21 June 2021. Earlier, the curfew relaxation timings were from 6 AM to 2 PM. Meanwhile, East Godavari district continues to report a high number of Covid-19 cases and hence, the curfew relaxation timings in this district will remain the same, i.e. till 2 PM. 

The district officials in Vizag, after announcing that the partial curfew will continue, told the citizens to follow Covid-19 norms and help in flattening the curve. From 21 June, all the shops and offices will have to be closed by 5 PM. It may be recalled that Vizag has been under a partial curfew since 2 May 2021 which was repeatedly extended by the State Government. But ever since the beginning of June, Vizag has seen a sharp decline in the number of Covid-19 cases, from nearly 2,000 in May to below 500 this month. On Friday, Vizag reported 299 positive cases of Covid-19, taking the total to 1,46,464. Now, beds in hospitals are also getting empty with the decrease in the number of cases, as 41 Covid-19 hospitals in the district have been denotified.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had advised the officials to continue containment measures in some form, so as to fully overcome the pandemic. According to the officials, the extension of curfew with the relaxation of timings will help to flatten the Covid-19 curve, making the city report zero cases. Continuing this way would help in tackling the impending third wave of the pandemic. The city traffic police would also continue to impose strict fines on individuals who are violating norms. Barricades will be put up at major locations to avoid people wandering unnecessarily. 

According to the recent survey by the district officials, Vizag has seen a good recovery rate, reporting not more than 4-5 cases and the usage of Oxygen in hospitals has also come down.