Gandhinagar May 26 (IANS): The Gujarat government has decided to relax the nigh-time curfew by one hour in 36 major cities of the state, looking at the decreasing number of Corona infection. Now it will be effective from 9 p.m. instead of existing 8 p.m.
Looking at the decreasing number of Corona cases in Gujarat, the Vijay Rupani government on Wednesday decided to relax the night time curfew. On Thursday, the CM will decide on the extension of the curfew.
"Looking at the decrease in the Corona cases, we are relaxing the curfew by one hour. Now, wherever the night time curfew is effective, it will begin from nine in the evening instead of eight," GChief Minister Rupani told reporters.
The curfew was imposed from April end, looking at the rising number of infections in the second wave of Covid-19. The state of Gujarat, similar to the rest in the country, had seen unprecedented spike.
The government had imposed a night-time curfew from 8 in the evening to 6 in the morning in 36 major cities. Essential services like medical, para medical were allowed to be continued. Commercial activities like food, vegetables, milk were also continued.
The government also banned political or social gatherings and reduced the number of guests who could attend a marriage ceremony to fifty from a hundred, following a Gujarat High Court order. Other gatherings have also been limited to a maximum of fifty.
The night time curfew is effective in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamangar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Gandhinagar, Anand, Nadiad, Mehasana, Morbi, Dahod, Patan, Godhra, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Bharuch, Surendranagar, Amreli, Himmatnagar, Palanpur, Navsari, Valsad, Porbandar, Botad, Viramgam, Chotta Udepur, Somnath (Veraval), Deesa, Ankleshwar, Vapi, Modasa, Radhanpur, Kadi and Visnagar.
There had been a ban on shopping malls, complexes, auditoriums, cinema halls, flea markets, swimming pools, gymnasiums, saloons, spa, beauty parlours, amusement parks, gardens, among others since more than a month in the 36 major cities till last week.
On May 20, Rupani announced that the curbs to be partially lifted and business in these cities was allowed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.