Delhi- Haryana Border: Haryana sealed border with Delhi to curb spread of coronavirus. (File)
The Haryana government has issued orders to "completely seal" all borders with Delhi except for essential services, state Home Minister Anil Vij said on Thursday, over concerns of coronavirus spreading with people travelling from the national capital.
Coronavirus cases have been increasing in districts sharing a border with the national capital, Anil Vij said in an order. "The main reason behind the spike in cases is the entry of people from Delhi into areas of Haryana which share its border with Delhi," he said.
"As per the records, in the last one week Faridabad reported 98 cases, Jhajjar reported 06 cases, Sonipat reported 27 and Gurugram reported 111 cases. Barring those categories for which relaxation has been granted by the High Court and the Union Home Ministry under lockdown 4.0, the inter-state border should be sealed," he added.
Just two weeks ago, the Delhi High Court had to intervene and order Haryana to allow those involved in essential services to travel between the state and the capital and remove special restrictions on its borders imposed during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
The Haryana government gave an undertaking assuring that those essential service workers including doctors, nurses, officials of police, courts and municipal bodies, will be allowed between Delhi and Haryana on producing e-passes.
The Haryana government also told the High Court that movement of trucks carrying essential and non-essential goods between Delhi and Haryana as well as going through the neighbouring state shall be allowed.
The order came following a case that said the Haryana government was not even allowing people involved in essential services like doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers, Delhi Police staff and others to travel between the states.
Haryana had clamped down its borders with Delhi last month after Anil Vij said many who work in Delhi and stay in Haryana have become "corona-carriers". The move created problems for many who live in the Delhi's satellite cities of Gurgaon and Faridabad.
Haryana reported 123 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the total number of cases in the state to 1,504 including 19 deaths.