Assam Govt issues new COVID guidelines; Malls, markers to shut by 6 pm

Guwahati, Apr 20: Amid the deteriorating Covid-19 situation in India as positive cases continue to rise, Assam has re-enforced restrictions to curb the spread of the deadly virus.

Assam Govt issues new COVID guidelines: What's allowed and What's not

Gatherings

Open functions to be allowed with the permission of the District Authority subject to strict adherence to COVID appropriate behavior, including wearing a face mask, maintaining respiratory etiquette, practicing hand hygiene through frequent hand washing or hand sanitizers and maintain social distancing (6 feet). While granting such permission. District Authority will assess the public bearing capacity of the open space and allow gathering of only 50% of its capacity or 400 persons, whichever is lower.

In Closed venues, gatherings up to 50% of the seating capacity to be allowed.

No standing audience shall be allowed in open/ closed venues.

The number of guests in Private functions at private venues including marriages to be restricted to 100 persons.

Funeral / last rites-related gatherings should ensure not more than 20 persons for each deceased.

Religious places/ places of worship should be allowed to be operated with 20 persons per hour. except for the iconic religious places where it can be 50 persons per hour.

However. if any religious place has only a small area. the management committee of such religious institution shall reduce the number of attendees accordingly.

All Market places I supermarkets I shops in the Malls I weekly market should be closed by 6.00 PM.

Work Places (Government and Private)

1. Working from home and virtual working should be encouraged.

2. Except officers, only 50% of employees can work from the office. However, this will not be applicable for organizations rendering Essential/Emergency Services, Law Enforcement Services, and Election work.

3. Meetings in the official chambers to be discouraged.

4. Pregnant women employees and women with children of 5 years or below irrespective of their grade shall be allowed to work from home.

5. Social distancing at workplaces should be ensured through adequate gaps between shifts, staggering of lunch breaks of staff etc.

6. Provision for thermal scanning, hand wash, and sanitizer be made at all entry and exit points and common areas. In addition, sufficient quantities of handwash and sanitizer should be made available in the workplaces.

7. Frequent sanitization of the entire workplace, common facilities, and all points which come into human contact should be carried out.

Educational Institutions (Government and Private)

• All Educational Institutions including Schools/Colleges/Universities must provide quality virtual options.
• Not more than 50% of students should attend in person on any day. Schools should stagger class timings so that large scale release of students doesn't arise.
• There will be no morning assembly/special assembly etc. in the educational institutions.
• Preference to be given on online mode of teaching for primary classes.
• Education Department will issue detailed guidelines/SOP for uninterrupted education service keeping in view of the COVID-19 precautionary measures.

Public Transport (Government and Private)

• All Public transport authorities shall enforce COVID-19 appropriate behavior and seating inside the vehicles, carriers, containers etc.
• Auto Rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, and taxis shall operate with one driver and two passengers maintaining social distancing.
• City buses, Intra-district, Inter-district and Inter-state ·buses will be allowed to operate with 50% of seating capacity.
• No passenger shall be allowed to travel standing in the vehicle.
• Wearing of mask and observance of COVID-19 appropriate behavior will be mandatory for all passengers.

Miscellaneous

Wearing of face mask is compulsory in all public places Shop owners shall ensure minimum six feet distance among customers and shall not allow more than 5 persons inside the shop. In addition, shop owners should compulsorily keep sanitizers and hand wash in their shops.

Shopkeepers and customers shall have to wear masks, hand gloves and maintain social distancing. Responsibility of maintenance of social distancing will be on the shop owner and failure to do so will be viewed very seriously and may entail summary closure of defaulting shops.

Barbershops, salons, and parlors shall continue to provide service with strict compliance of COVID-19 appropriate behavior such as wearing face masks. face cover hand gloves.

Industrial units and Tea gardens may function as subject to the observance of COVID appropriate behavior.

The Head of the tea garden shall be responsible for ensuring social d1stanc1ng mask-wearing by workers and staff, sanitization of industrial premises, thermal scanning etc.

Penal Provisions:

Any person violating these measures will be liable to be proceeded against as per provisions of Section 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, besides legal action under Sec. 188 of IPC and other legal provisions as applicable.

Any person not wearing face mask and/ or spitting in public places shall be fined to the tune of Rs.1000/- vide ASDMA 's earlier Order No. ASDMA/24/2020/Part-1 /122 dt 14/1012020 which can be imposed by District wise Task Force comprising of District Disaster Management Authority, Magistracy, Police Enforcement wing of District Transport Officer and Enforcement wing of Guwahati Municipal Corporation in their respective jurisdictions.

Deputy Commissioners will enforce the aforesaid order strictly and effectively for those districts where the number of active COVID-19 patients rises to 100 or more.