Coronavirus Outbreak: Rajasthan Seals State Borders
Jaipur: Rajasthan has announced the sealing of interstate borders with immediate effect as per the orders of chief minister Ashok Gehlot. The state seeks to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons from other states.
Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has issued an order stating that all the inter-state boundaries of the state will be sealed with immediate effect to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons from the inter-state boundaries of the state. #COVID19
— ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2020
The Rajasthan government's decision comes in the wake of a massive surge in COVID-19 positive cases in various parts of the country, including states sharing borders with Rajasthan.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a high-level meeting late Wednesday night and ordered officials to seal the state's borders. Those who have permission from the state government alone would be permitted to enter.
The chief minister is reported to have told officials that protecting the lives of people was the top priority of the state government. Gehlot observed that permission for movement of inter-state traffic would be strictly in line with the directives of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The district collector is authorised to give an e-pass only in cases of medical emergencies, which will reported to the Home department the same day. The Home department will then lend its approval and this procedure will be stringently followed.
Rajasthan shares its borders with Punjab to the north, a state which has seen a sharp spike in recent days. To the south-east of Rajasthan is another state with a very high case-load, Madhya Pradesh, while Gujarat with huge numbers of COVID-19 positive cases, is to the southwest of Rajasthan. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the latter with a high case-load of COVID-19 positive cases, lie to the north-east of Rajasthan.