A night curfew has been imposed in Noida in Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddh Nagar, as well as in the state’s Ghaziabad district, both adjoining Delhi, from Thursday till April 17 to check the spread of rising number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the national capital region (NCR). The night curfew will remain in effect from 10pm to 5am. Markets, restaurants, pubs, bars, nightclubs, and other public places will be required to shut down by 10pm every night, a government order notified. Emergency and essential services, including medical facilities, groceries, and nutriment shops in both districts would, however, remain exempt from the restrictions.
The night prohibition and regulation orders in Noida and Ghaziabad come two days after a similar night curfew was imposed in national capital Delhi, owing to the worsening Covid-19 crisis in the city-state. Restrictions remain mostly the same, with a few exceptions. Here’s what will remain open and what won’t post 10pm in Noida and Ghaziabad till April 17:
Night curfew in Noida, Ghaziabad: Markets, pubs, bars, restaurants to shut down by 10:00 P.M.
Owing to the night curfew in Noida and Ghaziabad, crowds gathered at public places, including all restaurants, pubs, bars, nightclubs, and party venues, will require to be dispersed by 10pm. This will also be applicable to guests gathered at social occasions, such as wedding halls, laws, and banquet halls. All shopping complexes and markets in Noida and Ghaziabad will have to shut down by 10pm. However, restaurants shall be given an additional hour of exemption from 10pm to 11pm to get done with cleaning and sanitization-related work.
Parks, community centers, and gyms will be closed in Ghaziabad once again, as per the district administration. Household helps, maids, and domestic servants shall also not be not be allowed to be called into service during the night curfew.
From 10pm to 5am, only essential services allowed
In the seven-hour window between 10pm to 5am during the night curfew in Noida and Ghaziabad, only essential services will be allowed to operate. Essential services include emergency medical and healthcare-related facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic centers, medicinal clinics, pharmacies and other associated services. Pharmaceutical companies and medical insurance offices shall also remain open. Pregnant women and patients shall be allowed unrestricted access to healthcare facilities in Noida and Ghaziabad.
Emergency services personnel, such as medical professionals, healthcare and family welfare workers, police, civil defense, fire and emergency services personnel, electricity, water and sanitation workers will be allowed to continue on with their services, given they produce valid identification (ID) cards.
Groceries, dairies, shops selling farmers’ goods, fruits and vegetables, bakeries and confectionaries, dairies, fish and meat shops shall also remain open. Banks, insurance offices, ATMs, print and electronic media, internet, broadcasting and cable-related services shall be allowed to function. However, these establishments will be required to ensure Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in their premises, as per official protocols.
Movement of essential goods will be allowed. No ID cards whatsoever will be required to be produced. Petrol pumps, LPG, CNG, petroleum and gas outlets shall remain open. Door-to-door delivery of food items will be allowed.
Public transport passengers need to produce tickets.
Commuters arriving at or travelling from the airports, railway stations, and inter-state bus terminals in Noida and Ghaziabad will be allowed free movement, given they produce valid tickets. In case of movement of essential goods during the night curfew in Noida and Ghaziabad, no particular ‘e-pass’ will be required.
There will, however, be no curbs in Ghaziabad on inter-state travel, nor shall any ‘e-pass’ be required. Officials and workers assigned on duty over the upcoming panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh shall also be exempt from the Covid-19 night curfew-related curbs.
No physical classes in educational institutes till April 17
All government and private educational institutes in Noida and Ghaziabad shall be barred from holding physical classes till April 17, as per a press note cited by news agency PTI. The restrictions shall be applicable for all coaching institutes across Noida and Ghaziabad as well. However, medical, paramedical and nursing institutes, both public and private, will remain exempt from the curbs.
Authorities to enforce Covid-19 protocols in public places
Police personnel will ensure strict adherence to all Covid-19 appropriate behaviour in public places. There shall also be an “intensive enforcement” of masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus in Noida, a press note issued by the Gautam Buddh Nagar district administration stated.
