Rajasthan To Seal Border For A Week As Coronavirus Cases Rise

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has said it will seal the state border for a week due to rising cases of coronavirus. Only people who have passes can go enter or leave the state, the state government said.

The state shares borders with Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

All movement to and from the state will be regulated and no person can enter Rajasthan without a no-objection certificate or NOC from the state or leave without a pass, Director General of Police ML Lather said in an order.

Rajasthan reported 123 new COVID-19 cases this morning, taking the total to over 11,300; some 256 have died.

All the states had in various ways had eased the coronavirus lockdown last week after the centre presented its "Unlock1" plan to restart the economy amid the pandemic.

The Rajasthan Police said they will set up check posts along the state borders and keep them active for a week. The check posts will be put up at railway stations and airports.

The district collectors and superintendents of police can issue passes and only emergency cases like visit to hospital for admission or death may be exempted, the order said.

India's coronavirus tally soared to 2,76,583 this morning with 9,985 new patients recorded in the last 24 hours as the number of those who have recovered overtook the active COVID-19 cases in the country for the first time.

A total of 1,35,206 patients have recovered so far; nearly 1.33 lakh are still taking treatment for the highly contagious disease.

Of the total cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic, 7,745 patients have died; 279 patients died in the last 24 hours. The country, which has tested nearly five million people so far, ranks fifth in the world in terms of COVID-19 cases, after the United States, Brazil, Russia and the UK.