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Amid surge in Covid cases, Chandigarh admn mulls curbs
Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh, the UT administration is exploring the options to enforce stricter restrictions on the lines of those imposed by the Punjab government on Tuesday
Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh, the UT administration is exploring the options to enforce stricter restrictions on the lines of those imposed by the Punjab government on Tuesday.
Stating that restrictions will not be implemented immediately, UT adviser Manoj Parida said: “We are keeping a watch on the situation. We will consult medical experts and decide as the situation develops.”
After showing a downward trend, the number of weekly cases jumped from 131 between February 8 and 14 to 187 between February 15 and 21 — an increase of 43%. This is coupled with a steady rise in the number of active cases, which crossed the 200 mark on Monday for the first time in a month. The city’s weekly positivity rate has also seen an uptick from 1.4% to 1.9%.
In Punjab, which too has seen a significant surge, the government has restricted the number of attendees at indoor gatherings to 100 and outdoor ones to 200 from March 1. The state government also directed deputy commissioners to impose nigh curfew in hot spots, if required.
Ruling out the night curfew in Chandigarh, Parida said: “We have taken a soft approach so far, and succeeded in controlling the pandemic in the city. We will follow the same approach.” However, the administration, if required, could impose restrictions on gatherings.
More focus on vaccination
Parida said the administration’s focus would be on vaccination for now. “We have health facilities to control the spread. For increasing the vaccination rate in the city, we will step up the awareness campaign. It is already being done in different departments,” he said.
The administration is also examining several steps being taken in other states for increasing the participation of frontline workers in taking the vaccination. Options, such as allowing one-day leave for vaccination or restricting financial help extended to employees in case of infection if they have skipped the shot, are also on the table.
