Shillong, Sept 11: With the East Khasi Hills showing a decline in number of new Covid-19 cases as well as lower overall active cases, the district administration has further eased the restrictions in the district starting Sunday.

In an order issued on Saturday, East Khasi Hills District Magistrate,  Isawanda  Laloo said essential and non-essential shops can now open for 6 days a week with enhanced timings as well as restaurants,  cafes,  teashops,  bars  and  takeaway  services  can now operate will 8 PM.

Enhanced relaxations  in East Khasi Hills

1.  Night curfew will  be promulgated  under  Section  144  CrPC  with effect from  9:00  PM  to  5:00  AM  daily  in East  Khasi  Hills District.  There  shall  be a  total  ban on  movement  during  this  time.

2.  Opening  of  shops  and  other  economic  activities  (both  essential  and  non-essential  )  including  teer counters,  saloons/beauty  parlors,  gymnasiums,  etc.  are  permitted  upto  6  days  a  week.  They  shall close  by  6:30  PM  sharp.

3.  Restaurants,  cafes,  teashops,  bars  and  takeaway  services  shall  close  by  8:00  PM.

4.  Shops  including  vendors  will  remain  closed  on  Sundays.  However,  Dine-in  establishments,  public  parks  and tourist  spots  which  have  received  permission  from  the DC’s  office/ concerned  SDO  (C)  may  open  on Sundays as per  the  conditions already  issued.

5.  All  shops  shall  prominently  display  vaccination  status.

6.  Home  Delivery  Services  in  respect  of  food  establishments  and  other  delivery  sevices  will  be permitted  within  curfew  relaxation  hours.

7.  Public  and  private  transport  will  continue  as  per  order  No.C&S.2/CVD/2021/ORD/290  dated 04.09.2021.

All  other  conditions, restrictions, relaxations  and  curfew  exemptions in effect will continue.

Positivity rate dips to 6.7%

The District Magistrate also informed that the positivity  rate  in  East  Khasi  Hills  District  is  6.7%  for  the  last  one  week  and  that  the number  of  positive  cases  at  present  is  878.

On Saturday,  Meghalaya detected 138 Covid cases while 226 people made recoveries. East Khasi Hills detected 66 cases, the lowest since the second wave of Covid-19 sweeped across the State somewhere in April 2021.

The district had recorded 38 cases on April 18, 2021 after which the cases started to shoot up with the very next day i.e., April 19, 2021, detecting 95 cases and the cases never came down since.

With Saturday’s figures,  Meghalaya has detected a total of 78015 cases so far, of which 74,750 have made recoveries while 1913 are still active. At the same time, 1,352 people have died to the deadly virus with the addition of 6 more to the tally on Saturday; and all the 6 fatalities were not vaccinated by even a single dose of vaccine.