Lockdown 2.0: Govt monitoring violation of guidelines, assaults on medicos

The government on Thursday said it is monitoring on a daily basis incidents of violation of guidelines for the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus.

“MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) is monitoring on a daily basis incidents of violation of lockdown guidelines, including congregation of people and opening of shops and establishments,” the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said in a statement.

“Instances of violence against health workers engaged in surveillance and quarantine measures etc are also being ascertained,” is said.

It also warned that actions would be taken against officials for violation of lockdown guidelines.

“MHA would take action under Disaster Management Act against officers found responsible for such violations,” the statement said.

The government had invoked the Disaster management Act when the lockdown was first announced on March 24.

On Wednesday, two persons, including a doctor were injured when a mob attacked an Uttar Pradesh health department team in Nagfani area of Moradabad when it had gone to take away relatives and contacts of a Covid 19 victim to a quarantine facility.

Police dispersed the violent mob using mild force and took at least 10 people into custody.

The Moradabad incident was the latest in a series of assaults on medical professionals involved in Covid care.

Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of migrant workers in Mumbai ignored lockdown restrictions and gathered at the Bandra West railway station demanding transportation to their homes in different states following rumours that the Railways were arranging trains. The crowd of migrant workers which gathered in Bandra a few hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the lockdown till May 3, finally dispersed after a lathi charge by the police.

Union home minister Amit Shah had taken a serious view of the Bandra incident and told Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray that such the protests weaken India’s fight against coronavirus and the administration needs to stay vigilant to avoid such incidents.

There have also been reports of overcrowding in markets and not following social distancing in different places in the country.