THE WEEK Morning Brief: Lockdowns in more states, Delhi curfew passes

Here are a list of key news stories to watch out for on Tuesday, March 24

Punjab lockdown rep Representational image | PTI

COVID-19 lockdown extends to multiple states

Lockdowns and other restrictions will come into effect in multiple states and cities on Tuesday as authorities battle to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In Nagaland, Section 144 has come into effect in Dimapur district. Dimapur, a commercial hub of the state, witnessed "unprecedented" movement of vehicles during the lockdown, which began from Sunday midnight. Police seized a number of taxis for plying on roads.

In Rajasthan, movement of private vehicles will be curbed from Tuesday. Only those vehicles that are used for essential services have been exempted. State highway tolls have been closed from Monday midnight.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had told people to take the lockdown imposed by the state till March 31 seriously or else the government would have to impose a curfew from Wednesday.

After 7 districts of Haryana were put under lockdown on Monday, the remaining 15 will also be put under similar restrictions from midnight on Tuesday.

Assam will come under lockdown from 6pm on Tuesday till March 31. Essential services like pharmacies, medical, water supply, banking and petrol pumps will be exempted from the purview of the lockdown. The state border will be sealed and no vehicles, barring those on essential duties, will be allowed, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Even shops selling vegetables, fruits, fish and meat will be closed during the period, he said.

The Karnataka government on Monday night announced a lockdown from March 24 till month end in the entire state as seven new COVID-19 cases were reported, taking the tally in the state to 33. The government earlier announced stricter measures in nine districts, including Bengaluru, where lockdown was declared on Sunday till March 31 to contain the spread of the virus.

Delhi curfew passes

The Delhi Police on Monday moved to seal all border pickets in the national capital and said curfew passes will be issued to people associated with essential services as "execution" of the prohibitory orders in the city was "not up to the mark". Details like format of the application for the passes and from when they will be required are likely to be shared on Tuesday, the police said.

On Sunday, police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in Delhi till March 31 in view of the coronavirus outbreak, banning protests and other gatherings.

AIIMS OPD services

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences will shut its outpatient department services from Tuesday as part of measures to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The restrictions will apply to all speciality services and all new and follow-up registrations of patients. AIIMS is enforcing the restrictions to redirect resources to the fight against COVID-19.

Last week, AIIMS had issued a circular postponing non-essential elective procedures and surgeries and allowing only emergency life-saving surgeries.

Redmi K30 launch

Xiaomi is expected to launch its new Redmi K30 pro phone in China on Tuesday. The event is likely to be livestreamed.

The K30 Pro has a Snapdragon 865 processor, a pop-up selfie camera and 5G connectivity. The K30 Pro is expected to come in two options: 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and 8GB and 128GB.

An upgraded K30 Pro Zoom edition is also expected, which will have three options: 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, 8GB + 256GB,and 12GB + 512GB.

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