With the daily Covid-19 cases rising gradually in Chandigarh, the UT administration on Monday once again made face masks compulsory in closed environments and announced violators will be fined ₹500.
In a notice, UT adviser Dharam Pal, who is also chairperson, state executive committee, State Disaster Management Authority, said, “Wearing of face mask will be compulsory in closed environment like public transport (buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws), cinema halls, shopping malls, departmental stores, shops, educational institutions (colleges, schools, coaching centres), libraries, government and private offices, and all types of indoor gatherings.”
The notice further read that every violator will be fined ₹500 and non-payment of the fine will invite legal proceedings under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Notably, amid sharp decline in cases in March, the UT administration had made masks optional only on April 4, two years after the mask rule was first imposed in March 2020, when the first lockdown was enforced in the wake of the pandemic’s outbreak.
Punjab had also made masks mandatory on April 21, while in Haryana, they are compulsory in four NCR districts – Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat and Jhajjar – since April 18.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab had also made masks mandatory on April 21, while in Haryana, they are compulsory in four NCR districts – Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat and Jhajjar – since April 18.
{{/usCountry}}Unvaccinated kids cannot attend physical classes from May 4
In another restriction, children, aged 12 to 18, who have not received even a single dose of anti-Covid vaccine will not be allowed to attend physical classes at schools from May 4.
The UT adviser convened a high level Covid-19 vaccination review meeting on Monday and directed the UT education department to restrict the unvaccinated students, in the 12 to 18 age group, from attending the classes in physical mode from May 4.
The decision has been taken to protect the unvaccinated children from Covid-19 infection, Dharam Pal said.
The vaccination drive for children in the 15-18 age group commenced on January 3, while that for those aged 12-15 began on March 16. The older children are being provided Covaxin vaccine, while the younger lot are being administered Corbevax vaccine. The second dose for both vaccines is provided after a gap of 28 days.
But four months on, Chandigarh has been able to fully immunise only 55% children in the 15-18 age group category, where the target is 72,000, though the first dose coverage has reached 92%.
In the 12-15 age group category, the target population is 45,000, but in over a month only 39% have gotten the first dose, while the double dose coverage stands at 4%.
Special vaccination camps for kids underway
UT health secretary Yashpal Garg said, “The health department has started organising special vaccination camps in schools, in addition to the vaccination drive underway at health facilities. These special camps are being held even on Saturdays and Sundays. But despite all these efforts, over 40,000 children have yet to receive even the first dose. Children must get vaccinated at the earliest as cases have started rising again.”
On Tuesday, the special camps will be organised at GMSSS, Sector 10; GSSS, Sector 45; GMSSS, Timber Market, Sector 26; GMSSS, Sector 38 (West), GMHS, Maloya RC-II; GSSS, Manimajra Town; GMSSS Dhanas and GMHS, Vikas Nagar.
Apart from this, Covid vaccines for children are also available at PGIMER; GMCH, Sector 32; GMSH, Sector 16; and the Civil Hospitals in Manimajra, Sector 22 and Sector 45.
Meanwhile, senior officials of the UT education department said they will call a meeting to chalk out a plan to ensure that online classes resume for the unvaccinated children.
Physical classes at Chandigarh’s schools had fully resumed from February 14 onwards. When schools had reopened for Class 10 onwards on February 1, vaccination certificate was mandatory to attend school. But the mandate was lifted when all classes resumed on February 14.
15 test positive for Covid in Mohali, Chandigarh; no case in Panchkula
Tricity’s daily Covid-19 cases remained in double digits for the sixth consecutive day, as 15 people tested positive.
Chandigarh reported nine fresh infections, similar to Sunday, while Mohali logged six. No new case surfaced in Panchkula for the second day in a row.
The infected people in Chandigarh are residents of Sectors 9, 19, 21, 24, 27, 63 and 38 (West). In Mohali, four people were found positive in Mohali city and two in Dhakoli.
Currently, 75 people are still recuperating from the virus in the tricity. Among them 41 are in Chandigarh, 28 in Mohali and six in Panchkula. Since March 18, tricity’s active cases had remained below the 70 mark.