Residents of Sikkim capital Gangtok observed a complete lockdown on Monday at a time life started becoming normal in towns and cities of the country because of the relaxations announced by the Centre and different state governments.

This is the first day of the seven-day lockdown that has been clamped in the Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) area after there was a spike in Covid-19 cases. The contagion has infected three state ministers and two MLAs. The lockdown will be in force till September 27, said sources.

“Only essential services like medical shops and grocery stores have been exempted from the lockdown. On Monday, it was total and we appreciate the cooperation extended by people in our effort to stop the spread of the disease,’ said a senior police officer.

In Sikkim, the Covid mortality rate is 1.2 per cent, which is less than the national average of 1.6. Till Sunday, 29 out of the 2,391 Covid patients had died in the state. So far as the recovery rate of patients is concerned, it is 79.2 per cent, marginally less than the national average of 80.1 per cent.

Two infants — a male baby and a female, who were tested Covid-19 positive when they were barely two days old — have recovered fully.

Born to two different corona-positive mothers at the New STNM Hospital, they had themselves tested positive two days after their birth. While the male baby was born on September 8, the female baby was born a day later.

“Their mothers were tested Covid positive at the hospital and their babies too were subsequently tested positive. While the male child was discharged on September 16, the female child was discharged on Monday,” said Pempa T. Bhutia, the director general-cum-secretary of Sikkim health department.

The P.S. Tamang government has decided to make arrangements for buses to ferry candidates to examination centres. Scores of examinees are due to appear for CBSE compartmental examinations for Classes X and XII, in term-end examinations of IGNOU and in NET at different centres in Gangtok.

Bhim Thatal, the director of elementary education and samagra shiksha and spokesman for the state education department, said buses of the Sikkim Nationalised Transport would be available for examinees at three different entry points to the GMC area, including Ranipool, Ranka and Tashi View Point. “Students are required to reach these three points on their own. To avail themselves of the bus service, candidates have been advised to register with the education department with relevant documents,” he said.