Bengaluru has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation. (Representative image)

India reported over 1.26 lakh new COVID-19 cases, which took the total infection in the country above 1.29 crore, while the 685 fresh fatalities increased the death toll to 1,66,862 on April 7.

Amid the surging COVID-19 cases, several states and their districts have invoked restrictions to prevent the transmission among the public, including lockdown, night curfew and imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which bars the assembly of four or more people.

Bengaluru

The Karnataka capital has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation, stating an order issued by the police department on April 7. As part of the curbs, the operation of swimming pools, gyms and gathering halls based in apartments and residential complexes has been banned. All political rallies and demonstrations have also been banned in Bengaluru. The restrictions will remain till at least April 20.

Maharashtra

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

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Maharashtra is among the worst-affected states, with over five lakh active COVID-19 cases. To prevent the transmission of the infection among its people, the state government has imposed Section 144 of CrPC across Maharashtra from April 5. According to the COVID-19 restrictions, no more than five persons can move together or gather in public places between 7 am and 8 pm from Monday to Friday. The state has also imposed weekend lockdown and night curfew between 8 pm and 7 am. It will remain in force till on April 30.

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Gautam Buddh Nagar

Police in the Uttar Pradesh city have also invoked section 144 of CrPC till April 30, prohibiting unauthorised protests and warning of action against people not following COVID-19 protocols like social distancing and wearing face masks at public places, according to an order. The restrictions have been imposed in view of the festivals such as Holi, Shab-e-Baraat, Good Friday, Navratri, Ambedkar Jayanti, Ram Navami, Mahavir Jayanti, Hanuman Jayanti, etc. amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it stated.

Goa

The Goa administration has also imposed Section 144 of CrPC in both its districts, to prohibit public gatherings to control the spread of COVID-19 during festivals. The district collectors of both North and South Goa issued the order banning gatherings under section 144 of the CrPC.

Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh as well, the assembly of four or more people has been restricted in some districts, including Raipur, Durg, Bastar, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur.

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Section 144 around India amid rising COVID-19 cases: Take a look

Amid the surging COVID-19 cases, several states and their districts have invoked restrictions to prevent the transmission among the public, including lockdown, night curfew and imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which bars the assembly of four or more people.

Bengaluru has imposed Section 144 of CrPC in view of the prevailing COVID-19 situation. (Representative image)

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