A day after the neighbouring Punjab and Chandigarh imposed curfew, Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday also imposed an indefinite statewide curfew to combat coronavirus after it was found that many people defied the lockdown orders.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the curfew will come into force in all 12 districts of the hill state at 5 pm on Tuesday.
He made the announcement at 3.15 pm after the district authorities in Una, Kangra and Mandi had already imposed a curfew to contain the spread of the disease.
The CM took the decision after reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting with the ministers and officers. After the meeting, the CM told the media that the state government was forced to take the step as many people defied the lockdown clamped in the state since Monday. "Several people were moving on the roads despite the restrictions. So, the state government was left with no option but to impose a curfew in the entire state," he said.
Thakur urged people to follow the instructions issued by the state and central governments and remain indoors.
Una was the first district in Himachal Pradesh which imposed the curfew in the state. Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said curfew was imposed in the district at 1 pm. Subsequently, Kangra and Mandi DCs Rakesh Prajapati and Rugdev Thakur, respectively, announced an immediate imposition of the curfew in their districts.
Kangra is the only district in the state where three coronavirus cases have been detected so far. A 32-year-old man from Harchakkian tehsil and a 64-year-old woman from Dohabe village in Shahpur subdivision were tested positive for the disease on Friday. A 69-year-old man who recently travelled from the US and came to Kangra on March 21 in a taxi from Delhi had died of the infection at Tanda''s Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College on Friday.
Earlier on Monday, the staff of a private hospital in Kangra district where the man had initially gone for treatment was kept under isolation. The taxi driver, his family members and those who remained in the man's touch were also quarantined.
The CM said district-level coordination committees have been constituted for an effective and better coordination with the district administration so that the people do not face any inconvenience and essential services could be provided without any hiccup.
The state government has decided to impose curfew in the whole state from 5 pm today in wake of outbreak of Coronavirus in the state as well as country till further orders. This was decided in the meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur with the Ministers and Officers of the state government to reviewed the overall situation of the state.
Chief Minister said that district level coordination committee has been constituted at the district level for effective and better coordination with the district administration, so that the people of the State does not face any inconvenience and to ensure availability of essential commodities.
Thakur directed the officers to ensure availability of essential commodities in the State, besides ensuring that the people of the State does not face any inconvenience due to the curfew imposed in order to check spread of Corona Virus in the State.
He said that effective steps were being taken to check hoarding of essential commodities in the State.