Mizoram capital Aizawl to be in lockdown from October 27, Covid-19 'no tolerance' fortnight begins

Mizoram has not reported any deaths due to Covid-19 yet and has only 290 active cases

Mizoram government on Monday decided to impose complete lockdown in its capital city, Aizawl. The state kicked off "no tolerance" fortnight to prevent further spread of Covid-19.

The state government kept its schools shut and imposed fines on those not wearing masks or following social distancing norms in public places as part of the "no tolerance" fortnight.

Official sources told DH that the lockdown in Aizawl city will be effective from Tuesday morning and will remain in force for a week. The decision was taken as the state reported 48 fresh cases on Sunday and 58 cases on Saturday, he said.

Follow DH's coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic here

Covid-19 cases in Mizoram is still among the lowest in the country and the state has reported no death yet but official says they were going te extra mile to prevent community transmission of the virus given its poor healthcare facilities and "resource constraints".

The total Covid-19 positive cases in the state stood at 2493 of which 290 cases are active. "We strictly enforced the lockdown and monitored the movement of people from outside such as truckers and those associated with necessary services. But since we are still reporting fresh Covid-19 cases, it was decided to make sure that all people wear face masks while in public places. With this purpose, it was decided to observe the no tolerance fortnight and make the awareness drive a Jan Andolan," a health department official said.

Enforcement squads comprising health department officials and police personnel caught people not wearing masks in public places and imposed fines as per safety protocols to prevent further spread of the virus.

"Apart from safety protocols, we have imposed restrictions on movement of traffic and opening of shops in areas where fresh cases have been detected. The enforcement squads and the community-based organisations have started enforcing the restrictions very strictly from today," the official said. The restrictions will be reviewed after November 9.

Schools had voluntarily reopened on October 16 for those in Class X and XII but the education department on Friday issued an order closing all schools keeping in mind the fresh cases.

An official statement said the decision to close schools again was taken keeping in view the "imminent" spread of the virus among students of Class X and XII, who are to face their Board examinations early next year.