Weekend lockdown, curfew from 7 pm to 5 am amid spike in cases
Night curfew clamped in all 167 cities, towns, besides fresh guidelines for travellers
We need to be tough without affecting the state’s economic activity. Each death pains me, and the projections for the coming weeks are grim CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, CM
CHANDIGARH: As Covid-19 cases continue to see a sharp spike in Punjab, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered many emergency measures, including extension of weekend lockdown with daily night curfew from 7pm to 5am in all 167 cities and towns of state.
Calling for war-like preparedness to deal with the pandemic, the chief minister has ordered a total ban on all gatherings except weddings and funerals across the state till August 31. Government and private offices will work at 50% capacity till the end of this month. Amarinder, who held a virtual review meeting with top officials, also directed the officials to restrict public visitors in government offices and to encourage the use of online grievance redressal system.
VEHICULARCURBSINFIVE WORST-HITDISTRICTS
In the five worst-affected districts of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and SAS Nagar, restrictions on vehicular capacity have been imposed again, with buses and other public transport operating with 50% capacity and private four-wheelers not allowing more than three passengers per vehicle. The deputy commissioners of these districts have been directed to allow only 50% of the non-essential shops to open. These five districts account for 80% of the active cases in state.
NO POLITICAL GATHERINGS TILL AUGUST 31
Amarinder directed director general of police Dinkar Gupta to strictly enforce compliance of rules with regard to the number of persons allowed to attend weddings and funerals, and also to ensure a total ban on political gatherings till August 31, when the situation will be reviewed.
He also asked the DGP to crack the whip on all political protests and gatherings, and asked his own party, Punjab Congress, leadership to enforce the ban strictly.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: CM
“Enough is enough,” said the chief minister, adding, “We need to be tough without affecting the state’s economic activity.”
Pointing to the 920 Covid deaths in the state so far, he said “each death pains me, and the projections for the coming weeks are grim.” Underlining the need to promote public participation in creating awareness to check the spread of Covid, the chief minister asked the health department to promote public participation by involving all other departments, NGOS and local politicians to educate the people.
He said the state was in an health emergency, necessitating harsh measures, which might have to be further intensified in the coming days to curb the Covid spread. Though the cases were currently concentrated in urban areas, rural areas were also witnessing an increase, he said, adding that if needed, travel restrictions may have to be imposed.
‘TEST 10 CONTACTS OF POSITIVE PATIENTS’
The CM also asked the officials to increase testing to 30,000 a day, with at least 10 persons in the immediate circle of every positive patient to be tested.
The health department has been asked to supply ventilators free of cost to medical colleges and private hospitals.
Chief secretary Vini Mahajan said tenders had been floated for the procurement of nine more RT-PCR machines and the same were expected next week.
Adviser, health, medical education and research, Dr KK Talwar, in his presentation, said that though deaths per million in Punjab, at 30.8, was lower than India’s 39.9, the situation was grim and the state’s recovery rate at 62.9% was lower than the nation’s 73.9%. Principal secretary, health, Hussan Lal said while the number of tests had gone up to nearly 20,000, the positivity rate had come down slightly to 8.05% for the week from August 11 to 18, as against 9.31% from August 3 to 10.