Punjab imposes fresh curbs as Covid cases spike

The state government has ordered restriction on indoor gathering to 100 and outdoor to 200 persons from March 1

Amid growing concern over the rising coronavirus cases in the state, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered restriction on indoor gathering to 100 and outdoor to 200 persons from March 1, along with strict enforcement of mask/social distancing norms.

A swab sample being taken from a resident in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

Chairing a high-level virtual meeting to review the situation, the chief minister also authorised the DCs to impose night curfew in hotspots in their districts if needed, with micro containment strategy to be adopted. He directed the police force to ensure strict enforcement of wearing of masks, along with notification of Covid monitors by all restaurants, marriage palaces, with the department of excise and taxation to be the nodal agency for the same, according to an official release.

All field police officers have been directed to increase the challans for Covid protocol violations, mainly the non-use of the mask.

The chief minister said a decision on reducing occupancy in cinema halls will be taken after March 1. Private offices and restaurants will be encouraged to display last tests done for all employees, he added, ordering mandatory testing of 15 contacts per positive, with monitoring to be done by CPTOs and review to be undertaken by the health department.

Amarinder also took stock of the vaccination status, underlining the need to carry out an IEC campaign to promote 100% coverage of healthcare and frontline workers. He directed the health department to plan for the roll-out of vaccine for the elderly population and those with co-morbidities.

Health secretary Hussan Lal informed the meeting that the districts of Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, SAS Nagar and SBS Nagar had shown a spike in positivity in recent days, triggering concerns over a possible fresh wave in the state.

Dr KK Talwar, who is heading the state government’s expert group on Covid, said a detailed analysis was being done on the recent spike in positivity rate, which suggested an increase in cases among young people. At the current rate, the positivity could go up to 4% in two weeks, translating into 800 cases per day, he said.

Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan ruled out re-closure of government schools, stating the department was taking all steps to ensure the safety of students.