Kerala, Uttarakhand impose night curfew as Omicron cases continue to rise

With instances of the extremely infectious Omicron form of coronavirus spreading across the country, Kerala ordered on Monday a four-day night curfew beginning December 30.
From December 30 to January 2, a night curfew will begin at 10 pm and last until 5 am. On Monday, the southern state of Kerala reported 19 additional instances of the Omicron variety of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections by the new variation to 57. Kerala also recorded 1,636 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the state's total caseload to 52,24,929 cases.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand became the fourth state to enforce a night curfew on Monday evening. According to state police reports, the new limitations will go into force today to regulate the new form of COVID-19. "From 11:00 pm to 5:00 am, there will be a night curfew. During this time, all necessary services will be maintained, and mobility for essential tasks will be permitted," Uttarakhand Police sent a tweet.

Essential services like ambulance travel, cars transporting health workers, and postal services have been exempted, according to an order issued by Chief Secretary SS Sandhu. Private vehicles will also be permitted to travel during the night for emergencies, as long as they properly comply with COVID-19 rules. The manufacture, transportation, and distribution of gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and LPG are likewise exempt.

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The increased number of instances of the Omicron variety of coronavirus, which is more contagious than the Delta strain, has sparked concern across the country, causing many states to implement night curfews and other restrictions. The Delta strain was responsible for the country's fatal second wave of illnesses in April-May this year, when lakhs of people died and the healthcare system was on the edge of collapsing.