Hours after Gujarat reported its first COVID-19 death and five fresh cases on Sunday, the state government declared that it is suspending transport services till March 25 in a bid to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The state government has stopped the movement of buses and taxis. The restriction, however, is not extended to private vehicles and vehicles carrying emergency goods and essential commodities. The restriction will also exclude buses that help government servants reach the state secretariat in Gandhinagar.
On Sunday, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar reported two positive cases each and Kutch reported one. While four positive patients have had a travel history to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, an 80-year-old woman from Gandhinagar has tested positive following local transmission.
According to official figures, 6,092 are under home quarantine and 433 persons are in government quarantine.
The state government has filed FIRs against 10 persons for violating quarantine orders.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) that markets milk under the brand name Amul said on Sunday that there is no shortage of milk and appealed customers against resorting to panic-buying of milk and milk products.
GCMMF MD R.S. Sodhi said that there is no impact on milk procurement in the current situation and no shortage of milk, be it Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh or Punjab. The procurement is as usual, he added.
Sodhi said that their milk procurement was 10 to 12 per cent higher than last week.