Authorities impose nighttime and weekend curfew in Ahmedabad November 20

Event

Authorities in Ahmedabad (Gujarat state) have announced that a 'complete curfew' will be in place from 21:00 (local time) on Friday, November 20, until 06:00 on Monday, November 23, after which a nighttime curfew will be in effect between 21:00 and 06:00 for an indefinite period of time. During curfew hours, only shops selling essential goods and medicines will be permitted to remain open. All nonessential movement is banned but cargo transport will be unaffected. The curfews are being imposed to combat a surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the city. Additional hospital beds have been designated to hospitals in the city to help cope with the surge.

Other restrictions are in place or planned across other parts of India. Decisions on restrictions are largely devolved to state and local governments and therefore vary in different locations, but generally include limits on capacities in indoor premises and public transport, as well as restrictions on large-scale gatherings and the mandatory wearing of face masks in public.

International commercial flights remain suspended until at least November 30. This does not apply to cargo relief, repatriation, and humanitarian flights. Temporary reciprocal arrangements regarding commercial passenger services are in place with a number of countries, a full list of which can be found here. Domestic flights resumed on May 25.

As of November 20, authorities have confirmed 9,004,365 cases of COVID-19 in the country and 132,162 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected over the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell, or a rash on the skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.

• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.