Prohibitory orders imposed in HP's Kangra to contain spread of coronavirus

A day after Himachal Pradesh reported its first two COVID-19 cases from Kangra, authorities imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC in the district on Saturday to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code bans assembly of four or more people in one place.

Kangra Deputy Commissioner cum District Magistrate Rakesh Prajapati said section 144 has been imposed to ensure people maintain a social distance of at least one metre or 3.5 feet from each other to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The assembly of four or more people has been strictly banned everywhere except in hospitals or Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses, he added.

The HRTC buses will run at one-fourth of their seating capacity, the district commissioner said, adding that all private and inter-state HRTC buses have been cancelled.

Prajapati also asked people to take precautions while travelling in private cars and cabs.

He said routine public dealing has been suspended in government offices and only emergency work will be done.

Depositing power and water bills has been postponed till normalcy is restored. No penalty will be levied for late payments, he added.

The district commissioner said all Kangra residents who had returned from a foreign country in the last 28 days should undergo a medical check-up.

Such persons may also contact or any person may inform about such persons at toll free numbers 104 or 1077, he said.

He warned that if any such person is found to have deliberately hidden this information then that person may be jailed for two years and fined Rs. 50,000 under section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of Indian Penal Code.

Prajapati said an emergency control room has been set up in room number 710 of the district commissioner's office at Dharamsala. People can contact the control room at 01892-224970 and 01892-224976.

A 32-year-old man from Harchakkian tehsil and a 64-year-old woman from Dohabe village in Shahpur subdivision with a recent travel history to Singapore and Dubai, respectively, have tested positive for coronavirus in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said here on Friday.