Several states have decided to restrict Christmas and New Year celebrations by imposing night curfews to curb the spread of Covid-19. The Union Health Ministry has already warned that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is at least three times more transmissible than the Delta variant. On Friday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told the press that analysis of data reveals 91% of the total Omicron patients in India were fully vaccinated prior to infection. The two factors have made public restrictions all the more necessary during the festive season to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday decided to impose a night curfew from December 25 following COVID-19 concerns in the country. As per the government’s directives, a night curfew will be put in place from December 25 from 11 pm-5 am. No more than 200 people will be allowed at weddings, as per the order. Chief Minister said that every single passenger coming from outside in the state should be duly traced.
The Maharashtra government on Friday issued new COVID-19 guidelines prohibiting gathering of more than five persons in public places from 9 pm-6 am, among other such measures, applicable from the intervening night of December 24-25.
Haryana and Gujarat governments also announced night curfews on Friday. Night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am has been imposed in Haryana from Friday. In Gujarat, eight cities including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar, and Junagadh will be under night curfew from Saturday.
Odisha will also see festive season restrictions from December 25 to January 2. “Zero Night celebration, Welcome to New Year in hotels, clubs, restaurants, parks, convention halls, Kalyan Mandaps, etc. is completely banned across the State,” the Odisha government order read.
In Madhya Pradesh, the state government imposed a night curfew from Thursday. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “In view of COVID-19 cases, Madhya Pradesh govt imposes night curfew from 11 pm to 5 am from today till further orders.”
