Tripura curfew: Essential and emergency services shall continue to function. (Representational)
Tripura on Sunday announced a nine-day curfew, which began at 5 am today till May 26, in Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) areas amid a surge in Covid cases.
Addressing a press conference, cabinet spokesperson and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath said West Tripura is the worst-hit district in the state.
"We appeal to all people of the state to maintain strict COVID-19 protocol and also request everyone to go for tests and take vaccines. We need to follow three steps to save ourselves awareness, testing, and vaccination. We did not have any alternative other than imposing corona curfew from 5 AM on May 17 till 5 AM on May 26," he said.
The West Tripura district administration in a notification said all cinema halls, shopping malls, gymnasiums, sports complexes, stadiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls, and other public places would be temporarily closed.
Religious places will remain closed for the public but those engaged with rituals at the religious shrines will be allowed to continue with their duties, it said.
All social, political, sports, religious, entertainment, academic, and other gatherings are prohibited during this period.
Essential and emergency services shall continue to function while the non-essential offices will function with a skeleton staff as per roster.
Apart from the AMC areas where three containment zones were announced a few days back, the government has announced total containment zones at Panisagar Nagar Panchayat, Kailashahar Nagar Panchayat, Udaipur Municipal Council, Bisalgarh Municipal Council, Amarpur Municipality, BSF camp at the outskirts of the capital town and Ranirbazar Nagar Panchayat, and the entire village of Nagicherra.
Tripura logged 741 highest daily Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. The state currently has 4,561 COVID-19 cases. The state's positivity rate stands at 5.12 per cent and recovery rate at 87.73% per cent.
A total of 31 minor girls and eight caretakers at two orphanages in Tripura have tested positive for COVID-19 but their condition is stable, officials said on Sunday.
Tripura Commission for Protection of Child Rights (TCPCR) Chairperson Nilima Ghosh said that these comprised 26 children at the privately-run Jawaharlal Nehru Balika Niwas and five children of the state Social Welfare Department-run Bhasa home.