Amid rising COVID-19 cases, a night curfew will be imposed between 11pm-5am in Uttar Pradesh from December 25, the state government has said.
Additionally only 200 people will be allowed at weddings or any other social functions with all necessary Covid-safety protocols being properly followed. Government sources said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also asked all shopkeepers and traders to follow the "no mask, no goods" policy.
Officials have also been asked to ensure that all those arriving in UP from abroad, and other states, are tested for Covid, with particular attention to be paid to railway and bus stations.
Thirty-one new COVID-19 cases were reported across UP on Thursday - much lower than the tens of thousands of cases detected daily in April-May. The state has reported two Omicron cases so far.
However, although the daily numbers are low, experts are worried about the steadily increasing 'R' factor, or reproduction rate, of the virus, which warns of a potential explosion of infections.
On Tuesday the centre, in a letter to all states and UTs, warned governments that the Omicron variant was three times more infectious than the Delta strain that led to the deadly second wave.
Experts believe that the Delta variant, while not as infectious as Omicron, produces more severe symptoms and greater need for hospitalisation and medical oxygen. The Omicron variant, first reported from South Africa last month, is regarded as more virulent but, potentially, less severe.
Credits - NDTV