The Assam government has decided to impose "curfew-like" restrictions on people who are yet to take both the doses of the Covid-19 vaccines in order to achieve 100 per cent vaccination within this month.
Under the restrictions to come into force from January 15, such people will not be allowed to enter offices, malls, hotels, cinema halls, buses and other public places till they get both doses of the vaccine.
"Our target is to get all eligible persons vaccinated within this month. So far, nearly 50 lakh people have not taken the second dose and some of them have not come forward to take the first dose. We are asking them to get the second dose by January 15 or they will face the restrictions. If the unvaccinated persons are allowed entry after January 15, the onwers of concerned hotels, malls, etc. will be imposed a fine of Rs. 25,000," Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters in Guwahati.
"Some people in Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong district have resisted the vaccination and have not taken the first dose yet. We are trying very hard to convince them," he said.
"As the impact of infection from Omicron variant is comparatively less, our effort is to get all vaccinated," he said.
The Chief Minister also announced that classes upto class VIII in Guwahati and upto class V (five) in rest the state will remain suspended from Saturday. "The classes for Class IX, X and XI will continue on alternate days, while Class XII will continue," he said.
The CM also announced that night curfew would be in force between 10 pm and 6 am, instead of between 11.30 pm and 6 am at present. Wearning of mask has also been made compulsory.
The steps come amid sudden increase in number of Covid-19 cases, which reached 844 on Thursday, from 475 on January 4. The state has so far reported nine Omicron variant cases, the CM said.
Assam reported 5,059 deaths in the second wave of Covid-19 last year.
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