Ghaziabad DM issues order to seal border with Delhi; essential services to be allowed

On Monday, Ghaziabad District Magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey has issued an order to seal the border with Delhi due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

"In Ghaziabad district, there is an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the last few days. A large chunk of these cases are linked to those who travel between Delhi and Ghaziabad," the DM said. "Hence, on the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officer, the district administration has decided to block the Delhi-Ghaziabad border," he further added.

The DM's order comes only a week after the government announced a few relaxations amid Lockdown 4.0 enforced to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the new order, those providing essential services, including media personnel, don't need pass, IDs are sufficient. Ambulances and vehicles for essential services will also be allowed, the order said.

Heavy vehicles, cargo vehicles, vehicles related to banking services and other essential services will be allowed to cross the border without any pass or questioning," the order added.

The DM said that the sealing will be as strict as it was during Lockdown 2.0.

Meanwhile, there have been 227 cases of coronavirus in Ghaziabad, of which 33 are active cases.

Delhi has so far reported 13,418 cases of coronavirus of which 261 patients have succumbed to the virus. Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, has 6,200 cases.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India rose to 138,845 as of Monday morning, with 6,977 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, health ministry's data showed.