JOIN USMay impose curfew, seal borders of four NCR districts: Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij
Amid a surge in coronavirus cases, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday said the state government may impose a curfew or seal borders of its worst-hit four districts falling in the National Capital Region.
The state has so far reported 22,628 coronavirus cases, of which 15,425 have been detected in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat and Jhajjar, which fall in the National Capital Region (NCR).
So far, 238 of 312 fatalities in the state have been reported from the districts adjoining national capital Delhi.
Gurgaon and Faridabad are the hardest hit as 7,126 and 5,665 cases, respectively, have surfaced there so far. Both districts have reported 109 and 101 fatalities, respectively.
“We can think of sealing the boundaries of these four districts; we can think of imposing a curfew in these four districts,” Vij said in Chandigarh, where he attended his office at the Civil Secretariat after a gap of 35 days following recovery from a fractured thigh bone.
For the past three weeks, the 67-year-old BJP leader had been carrying out official work from his residence in Ambala Cantt.
Earlier in the day, while talking to reporters in Ambala, Vij, who is also the state's Health Minister, had said the state's recovery rate is over 75 percent, which is quite good.
He said adequate arrangements, including isolation facilities, doctors and medicines are there to deal with coronavirus cases.
“We are conducting over 15,000 tests per million. I have issued orders for two lakh rapid antigen testing kits, which will help us scale up our testing,” he said.
"Eighty percent of our cases come from these districts (Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Jhajjar). If the need arises, in the interest of Haryana, if we have to impose stricter curbs to contain the spread of the infection, we will not hesitate to do so,” said Vij.
When asked if the state government could impose a lockdown in the worst-affected areas, Vij replied, “In Haryana's interest, whatever is required to be done, I will do that.”
Later in Chandigarh, Vij said one thing is clear that the surge in infections in the districts adjoining Delhi is linked to the national capital.
He said any decision on imposing stricter measures will be taken after due consultations with all concerned.
Vij said states have come up with different measures to contain the spread of the virus and the Haryana government will study which one can be implemented in the state.
Earlier two months ago, while citing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases in Haryana districts adjoining Delhi, Vij had ordered sealing of borders with the national capital.
Recently, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala had said the government will increase testing, hospital beds and ventilators to tackle coronavirus in some of the NCR districts.
Special attention will be paid to the districts of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonipat, Rohtak and Jhajjar, Chautala had told reporters after a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and attended by chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.