Coronavirus impact: delhi border seal , curfew passes must for movement of essential goods

  Coronavirus update: Delhi border sealed, Curfew passes must for travel between Delhi for essesntial goods or services

Delhi / New delhi :
In the period of the coronavirus outbreak in the country which has so far claimed eight lives, the Delhi Police on Monday said interstate borders would be sealed and movement possible only with curfew passes issued by the district police headquarters.

Earlier, media reports suggested that curfew was imposed in the national capital. However, a Delhi Police order later clarified that there was direction for the movement of vehicles carrying essential goods in the national capital from the neighbouring states.

"To ensure the proper implementation of Section 144 in Delhi, inter-state borders shall be completely sealed by police, except for the movement of essential goods and commodities," said Delhi Police PRO MS Randhawa.

The government said only people go out from home for essential services be allowed to travel in private vehicles. To this end, the Delhi Police said passes would be required for those peoples in private concerns. And the Government employees can use their identity cards.

Vehicle owners in Gurugram and Faridabad will get their passes from the DCP office in south-west Delhi and and south-east Delhi respectively. Meanwhile, vehicle owners from Noida can get their passes from DCP office in east Delhi.

Earlier today, the Delhi Police appealed to people through social media and public announcement systems to stay at home and venture out only in case of an emergency.

The city will be under lockdown till March 31 midnight amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Delhi Police has sealed the border areas and is only allowing those exempted from the lockdown.

The Delhi Police has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in the national capital till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, banning protests and other gatherings.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code bans assembly of four or more people in one place.

Any person contravening prohibitory order shall be punishable under section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of Indian Penal Code.

Announcement through loudspeakers are also being made requesting people to practice social distancing.


As the virus kept the upward trajectory, state governments decided to take extraordinary measures and extend restrictions to contain the spread of the virus which has killed seven people in the country so far.

Punjab on Monday became the first in the country to impose curfew in the entire state with no relaxations, and only exempted essential services to prevent the infection, while Maharshtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said curfew will be imposed in the entire state from Monday midnight as the fight against coronavirus has reached a "turning point".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked state governments to ensure that rules and regulations of the coronavirus lockdown are enforced as he noted that many people are not taking the measure seriously.

The country registered 37 fresh cases of the coronavirus today, which pushed the total to 415. Of this, 41 are foreign nationals and seven persons died. The deaths were reported from Gujarat, Bihar, Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra, Punjab and Bengal.