Ahmedabad, November 19: Following the post-Diwali COVID-19 spike in Ahmedabad, the authorities have announced a "complete curfew" from tomorrow till November 23. A set of strict restrictions would come into place, with all shops ordered to remain closed. Only milk and medicine stores will be exempted, said an order issued by the Gujarat government. Delhi Increases Fine For Not Wearing Face Masks to Rs 2,000 Amid COVID-19 Surge in National Capital.

The curfew would come into effect from 9 pm in the night on Friday, and will continue till 6 am in the morning on Monday. The restriction are aimed to curb the pace of virus transmission, which had increased following the recent festive season.

Update by ANI

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials, while speaking to reporters, conceded that there has been a spike in coronavirus cases following the get-togethers and violation of COVID-19 safety norms during the Diwali festival.

The city on Wednesday reported 220 new cases and five fatalities, taking the overall tally of infections to 46,022, whereas, the death toll climbed to 1,949.

Ahmedabad had witnessed a peak in COVID-19 infections in the month of June. Over the past five months, the numbers had flattened. Most of the restrictions were lifted since September-October. Across India, the coronavirus curve is descending sharply in most states, except for Kerala and Delhi. In the national capital, a "third wave" of the pandemic is underway.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2020 11:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).