The Jharkhand Government on Tuesday extended lockdown-like restrictions till June 3, but clarified that students appearing for exams, people out for medical help, government employees and interstate travellers will not need to carry e-pass if they can produce necessary documents that prove their purpose for moving outdoors.
A notification issued by the Home, Prison and Disaster Management Department stated that students moving out of their houses for exams will not be stopped if they produce their admit cards. Similarly, people travelling either by railways or airways, will not need an e-pass if they are carrying relevant tickets, the notification further stated.
In the notification, the Government clarified that farmers moving out of their houses for selling their agriculture produce will not require an e-pass. All Government offices and offices directly or indirectly contributing to the State’s fight against Covid-19 will be open till 2pm. The employees are expected to follow Covid-appropriate behavior and maintain social distancing, the notification stated.
Villagers in some parts of the State had complained that they were stopped from moving to semi-urban and urban areas without e-pass, which affected procurement of seeds and supply of food grains to different parties.
The notification was released after Chief Minister Hemant Soren chaired a high-level meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). During the meeting it was decided that the State Secretariat will function only at 33 per cent of its strength of employees till 2pm on every working day during the extended ‘Swastya Suraksha Saptah’.
During the meeting, State disaster management secretary Amitabh Kaushal informed that Cyclone Yaas will affect parts of Jharkhand on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The SDMA was informed that the disaster management department has already made necessary arrangements to ensure supply of oxygen and uninterrupted power supply to hospitals during the cyclonic weather.
State Disaster Management Minister Banna Gupta also wrote to the deputy commissioners of the six Jharkhand districts that are likely to be affected by Cyclone Yaas and directed them to make necessary arrangements for disaster management. The six districts, as per Ranchi Meteorological Centre, are East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Saraikela, Ranchi, Khunti and Bokaro.
As per NHM data, Jharkhand on Tuesday reported 1,247 Covid-19 cases against 3,155 recoveries. As many as 20 patients, including three from Ranchi and four from East Singhbhum, died on the day. Tuesday’s developments took the active caseload in the State to 15,641 and the Covid toll to 4,891.