Amid coronavirus surge, night curfew enforced in Nashik from Monday

Nashik authorities said night

curfew would be enforced in the district between 11 pm to 5 am from Monday till further orders in view of the rise in COVID- 19 cases.

Outbreak protocols will be implemented strictly and those not wearing masks will be fined Rs 1,000, while marriage functions, which seem to be a factor behind the spike, will require police permission and that too with just 100 in attendance, they said.

Essential services such as hospitals, milk supply etc will not be covered in the night curfew, the officials added.

"Between February 6 and 21, the number of cases detected in Nashik was 1,731. The figure was 534 between February 16 and 20," an official said.

State minister Chhagan Bhujbal chaired a meeting here on Sunday to review the outbreak situation in the district and told authorities to take all efforts to ensure the recent spike is contained.

He said 40,000 out of 69,000 mandated beneficiaries had been vaccinated against COVID-19 in the district and asked the rest to get themselves inoculated by February 28.