AGARTALA / NEW DELHI, April 23 (TIWN): Tripura Law Minister Ratanlal Nath on Thursday has announced that Tripura is in “Green Zone of COVID19”, neither in Red zone, nor in Orange zone. It means, Tripura is much safer than other states may lead the State Govt to take decision on more relaxations in business, said Minister Ratanlal Nath. He further said that till now, Tripura Govt has not introduced any new guideline and all the relaxations are given by Centre. But if such situations continue, then State Govt may think to give more relaxations. “COVID19 has only one medicine that is Stay-home. It is true that rickshaw drivers are facing problems and trying to come out of home thinking about his family but it is also true, if a rickshaw driver dies in COVID19 disease, his family will be surely devastated.

“On yesterday, Centre gave a new guideline by allowing book stalls and thus it is implemented. Then one assistant with an old / ill person may stay. Relaxations are given in Agriculture too. So, in this way, whatever, Centre is permitting, Tripura Govt is following and till now, State Govt has not taken a single decision by its own but it may take decisions, ass Tripura is now in Green Zone”.

Book Stalls opened today : Book stalls in Tripura have been opened by maintaining social distances. Small queues were witnessed in front of the book stalls in Agartala, opened after a long time of lockdown period. Govt of Tripura, following national guidelines have eased business in certain sectors and reportedly as a part of it, the book stalls were also opened.

National report on COVID19 : The total cases of COVID-19 in the country, including 77 foreign nationals mounted to 21393, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

Of the total cases at least 16,454 are active,, while 257 people have recovered and 681 people have lost their lives.  Maharashtra reported 5,652 cases and 269 fatalities so far, followed by Gujarat with 2,407 cases and 103 deaths and Delhi with 2,248 cases and 48 deaths.  Number of people who recovered in Maharashtra stands at 789. In the national capital, it is 724 and in Gujarat 179 people have recovered so far. 

In Andman Nicobar Islands, the number of reported cases is 18 while 11 have been discharged upon recovery. There has been no death in the archipelago.  Andhra Pradesh has reported 813 cases so far out of which 120 have recovered. The state has seen 24 deaths so far.  There is only one case in Arunachal Pradesh, while in Assam, 35 people are infected with Coronavirus, 19 have been discharged and the state has seen only one death so far. In the neighbouring Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram, no new cases were reported on Thursday, as per the union health ministry data.