Night curfew, prohibitory orders imposed in Leh amid COVID-19 spike

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The administration in Leh has imposed night curfew and banned the assembly of more than four people amid a fresh COVID-19 spike, an official said on Saturday. Ladakh recorded one more COVID-related death and 44 new cases, taking the death toll to 114 and overall caseload to 8,272, officials said.

The self-imposed lockdown by the civil society group in Leh to contain the spread of coronavirus entered its sixth day on Saturday as the district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 12.9 degrees Celsius. The new COVID-related death was reported from Leh, taking the number of fatalities in the district to 73. The other 41 deaths were reported from Kargil district, the officials said.

Of the 44 fresh cases, 42 were reported from Leh and two from Kargil, while 100 patients – 89 in Leh and 11 in Kargil – were discharged in the last 24 hours, the officials said. They said the total number of cured patients had gone up to 7,254, which is 88 per cent of the total cases, while the number of active cases stands at 904 -- 799 in Leh and 105 in Kargil.

Concerned over the spike in COVID-19 cases in the last one month, district magistrate, Leh Sachin Kumar Vaishya, has ordered imposition of curfew and banning of the assembly of more than four people anywhere in the district, the official said.

"Only the number of persons as prescribed by the administration of UT of Ladakh shall be allowed to gather under exceptional circumstances like marriage ceremonies and funerals," the order read.

Vaishya, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), directed all government offices to work with a staff strength of 50 per cent and operation of all vehicles, including private and commercial, with a maximum of 50 per cent occupancy of seats.

"This order shall come into force from November 28 and will remain in effect till further order," he said. There would be strict night curfew from 8 pm to 5 am throughout the district and non-essential services would not be allowed during this period without prior permission from the district magistrate, it said.

People who are under the home quarantine would strictly follow the COVID-19 guidelines, it added.

Also read: Nearly 70 per cent of India's COVID-19 active caseload from eight states/UT: Health ministry