Capt clamps night curfew in Ludhiana, Patiala, Jalandhar dists from today

The CM also directed all big cities and towns to prepare integrated management plan for treatment of the disease in both government-run and private facilities

With surge in fresh Covid-19 infections in the state, chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered night curfew (9pm to 5am) in the worst-affected Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala districts from Saturday.

HT Image

The CM also directed all big cities and towns to prepare integrated management plan for treatment of the disease in both government-run and private facilities.

As Covid cases in the state has gone up to 20,891, with 1,050 infections reported on Thursday and 1,039 on Friday, the CM also announced a week-long trial of enforcement of the mandatory mask-wearing rule by making offenders stand at the spot for an hour with mask on.

He was of the view that making the offenders sweat it out might help check the violations on this count, which had crossed 3.82 lakh.

Taking questions in his weekly #AskCaptain Live session on Facebook, Amarinder also appealed to the people to get themselves tested early and start treatment in a proper hospital, urging them not to rush to private tertiary care facilities directly since good treatment is available in government hospitals.

Expressing concern over the steady increase in Covid infections and positivity rate in the state, the chief minister said with the peak in Punjab is projected by August end or early September, one could not be certain how high the peak of daily cases may go.