The UT administration will be following the Centre’s guidelines on whether to extend the curfew or not after April 14, as the nation awaits the end of the 21-day lockdown imposed to combat the spread of Covid-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
The administration will also take into account the number of local incidences and geographical spread of positive cases in the city before a final decision on curfew extension/withdrawal is taken.
Confirming the development, UT adviser Manoj Kumar Parida, said, “Chandigarh being a union territory, the administration will be following the Center’s directions on the lockdown withdrawal or continuation. The UT administrator will take the final decision on the issue after considering the (extent of) spread and the number of positive cases in the city. The decision will be taken on April 14.”
The administration imposed a curfew in the city on March 24, a day before the 21-day lockdown was announced from March 25 onwards. As per the administration’s orders, the curfew will continue “till further orders”, which the UT officials believe will last at least till April 14.
Significantly, while most states opted for a lockdown, Chandigarh like Punjab imposed a curfew. But the administration had to introduce an eight-hour relaxation after it came under criticism for failure to deliver essential commodities to people’s houses as promised. Later, it cut the relaxation period to four hours from 11 am to 3pm.
{{/usCountry}}Significantly, while most states opted for a lockdown, Chandigarh like Punjab imposed a curfew. But the administration had to introduce an eight-hour relaxation after it came under criticism for failure to deliver essential commodities to people’s houses as promised. Later, it cut the relaxation period to four hours from 11 am to 3pm.
{{/usCountry}}CENTRE’S DIRECTIONS AND GROUND SITUATION
The UT officials refused to divulge the specific number of positive cases, which will be considered as the most important factor when taking the decision on extension/withdrawal of curfew. After the initial spurt in positive cases after March 18, the situation stabilised with no new cases in the last five days in the city. Out of the 18 positive cases, seven have recovered so far, and there has been no death because of the pandemic in the city.
“The ground situation regarding Covid-19 cases and central directions will determine the administration’s decision on the issue. Significantly, the cabinet secretary last week issued a clarification denying that the lockdown will be extended. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also asked to develop an exit strategy for withdrawing the lockdown. But with some of the states, particularly those most affected by the coronavirus outbreak, requesting an extension, the Centre might reconsider their decision,” said a senior UT official, who didn’t wish to be named.
UTS’S EXIT STRATEGY
One of the strategies being considered is a staggered approach to lifting the curfew. “In case the number of cases increase, but are limited to a particular geographical area, the administration can opt for a staggered approach where the curbs remain imposed in the high risk zones and not elsewhere.
“The administration will put in place a containment policy for such areas. Under that policy, geographical quarantines will be created around the hot zones. Strict curfew will continue in such areas with the sealing of all exit and entry points. But in other areas of the city, gradual withdrawal of curfew could be undertaken,” said the official.
The continuous increase in the number of positive cases in neighbouring Mohali remains a concern for the administration. “Part of assessment of the ground situation will be the status of the cases in the neighbouring cities. In Mohali, particularly, rural and semi-urban areas, the number of patients testing positive for coronavirus has been consistently on the rise. If this trend continues, it will be difficult for Chandigarh to introduce blanket withdrawal of the curfew.”