‘People sans masks to be humiliated’
Chandigarh, Aug. 7: People who step out without a mask in Punjab will face public humiliation, made to stand at the spot for an hour, according to instructions issued by CM Amarinder Singh who also announced a longer curfew in three cities.
According to a government statement, the instructions regarding the mask will be implemented for a week on a trial basis. The violators will be made to stand at the spot for an hour with a mask on, it said.
The CM also announced to increase the duration of the night curfew by two hours in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala after a surge in coronavirus cases, it said.
Currently, the night curfew in the state remains in force from 11 pm to 5 am. But in the three cities, it will be implemented from 9 pm to 5 am.
While answering questions in his weekly #AskCaptain Live session on Facebook, Chief Minister Amarinder
Singh also directed to prepare an integrated management plan for the treatment of the disease at both government and private facilities in all big cities or towns. The instructions were issued as the state witnessed it steepest single-day spike of 1,063 cases, taking the coronavirus tally to 21,930. Twenty-three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll to 539. He urged people not to rush to a private tertiary care facility directly since good treatment is available in government hospitals. There are adequate testing facilities available in the state, he said, adding that four new testing labs will become operational on Monday.
The delay in testing and treatment is the main cause of increasing number of COVID deaths, he said. Expressing concern over a steady increase in infections, the chief minister said with the peak projected to come in Punjab by the end of August or early September, one could not be certain how high the peak of daily cases may go.