In the wake of rising coronavirus cases in Gurgaon, the authorities decided to impose stricter restrictions on the entry of people from outside the district and will screen those in essential services at border check posts.
The fresh curbs will come into force on Friday morning, days before the nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end.
Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Amit Khatri ordered that "in keeping in view the emergent nature and potential magnitude of the pandemic and for the purpose of ensuring health and safety of human life by enforcing stricter measures -- through curbs on cross movement across all borders of the district."
The order shall come into force from 10 AM of May 1 and shall remain in force till further orders and may be reviewed on periodic basis as per the prevailing circumstances.
The enforcement shall be strictly carried out at all border check posts and police nakas under supervision of a duty magistrate along with continuous videography.
Any violation shall invite criminal proceedings under the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Indian Penal Code, the order issued on Thursday by the Gurgaon district magistrate said.
However, ambulances, vehicles transporting essential supplies and those involved shall be allowed to enter the district, though certain conditions have been laid down for them also.
The movement passes issued by the Centre under special circumstances will be recognised and such pass holders will be allowed to enter Gurgaon, which abuts Delhi.
The Haryana government has maintained that many of the coronavirus cases in NCR districts, including Sonipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad, have been found to have contracted infection from the national capital.
Gurgaon, which reported three fresh cases on Thursday, is among the worst affected districts of the state.
The maximum number of positive cases are from Nuh (58), followed by Gurgaon (54), Faridabad (53), Palwal (34), Sonipat (25), Jhajjar (24) and Panchkula (18).
"However despite the lockdown efforts, there still have been cases of Covid in Gurgaon district with the contact history traced to cross-border sources, therefore, it becomes imperative in public interest that following (stricter) measures are undertaken to contain any further spread of the virus," the Gurgaon DM ordered.
As per his order, "accommodation arrangements for persons working in Gurgaon but not residents of Gurgaon shall have to be made by the concerned management at Gurgaon so as to preclude any daily cross-border transit".
"Persons working in places outside the territory of Gurgaon district but residents of Gurgaon shall pursue similar accommodation, arrangement with their concerned management so as to preclude any daily cross-border transit, the order said.
Further, in the cross-border transit becomes unavoidable, in a specific case, some measures shall be strictly adhered to that includes Aarogya Setu application shall be installed and used by all such concerned, thermal scanning and symptomatic screening at border check posts when entering Gurgaon will be done, rapid testing facility, during entry to Gurgaon for symptomatic persons, shall also be advisable to check any spread of the virus.
However, the curbs and checks to control the spread, as advised, cannot be successful unless any unregulated movement is further curbed, it said.
Among those who will be given exemption include authorised government officers/staff belonging to Union Ministries of Home, Finance and Defence, Department of Post, Disaster Management, National Informatics Centre, FCI, those specially issued a restricted movement pass by authorised officers of Centre and Haryana governments, ambulances, ATM cash vans, LPG/oil tankers, supply of essentials vegetables, milk etc.
Purely transit logistics movement of essential/non-essential items on national or state highways for cargo/raw material/finished goods, such vehicles shall not be allowed to halt in territory of Gurgaon.
Those ATM cash vans and vehicle with one driver and one helper involved in supply of essentials who undertake cross-border transit in and out of Gurgaon every day shall be mandatorily quarantined in locations designated by the district magistrate during the entire time from their return to Gurgaon till next travel back out of Gurgaon.
"In view of necessity to enforce the order in public interest, it is strongly advised that the central and state government bodies/units, private organisations and individuals make preparations accordingly to avoid any undue hardships," as per the order.
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