Assam ready to return to normal life: Himanta Biswa Sharma

GUWAHATI: Ahead of centre’s decision on possible extension of lockdown to phase five, Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that with social distancing and wearing of face masks having grown into a habit among the people now, the state is ready to once again embrace normal life, though in a phased manner.
“We should come back to normal life now but night curfew is helping us and so it must continue, from 9 pm instead of the current time of 7 pm, but beyond that whatever decision the government of India takes, we will be happy,” Sarma said.The current phase of lockdown, which is the fourth one since March 24, will come to an end on May 31.
“We do not have any problems now….we are ready to return to normal life because the message of social distancing has settled in a very, very strong way among the people, people have made wearing of face masks a habit,” he said.
Majority of the lockdown curbs imposed in the first phases of the lockdown have been gradually lifted in the state in the subsequent phases, except for educational institutes, bars, beauty parlour and salons, weekly markets, shopping malls, religious places and other such places wherever mass gathering is inevitable.
Sarma said, “Whether it is shopping malls or schools and college, gradually we are ready to return to normal life, but in a phased manner. When we re-open schools and colleges, we will have to open classes for class X and XII and then in the next phase classes IX and XI. Similarly In case of shopping malls, we have to start with opening 50% of shops and in the second round the next 50% shops can be allowed to re-open. When the people find themselves at ease with the life that Covid has brought, we can switch over to 100% normalcy.”
He said that the class X state board results will be declared in June fist week. “I think schools and colleges will not reopen before June 15. But, since the closure of educational institutes was ordered by centre, state government will wait for the further guidelines from the centre. The central government at PM’s level will take the final call and we will only implement the guidelines.”