E-Paper
Public transport to be off road in Punjab from Friday midnight
Classes 10 and 12 exams of Punjab School Education Board exams postponed, gatherings restricted to maximum of 20 people to check the spread of coronavirus
The Punjab government on Thursday announced that all private and state roadways buses, autorickshaws and tempos shall stop plying from Friday midnight in a bid to check the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the group of ministers (GoM) here, local government minister Brahm Mohindra announced that the Punjab School Education Board exams of Classes 10 and 12 have also been postponed till March 31.
Gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 20 instead of the 50 people permitted earlier, he said.
All deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) have been told not to leave their stations. “Public dealing in all government offices has been severely curtailed. Only essential work will be done,” Mohindra said.
SAMPLE OF SBS NAGAR MAN WHO DIED TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
The sample of a 72-year-old man, who returned from Germany via Italy a fortnight ago and died at a hospital in Punjab’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar after severe chest pain, has tested positive for novel coronavirus, senior officials said in Chandigarh on Thursday.
The septuagenarian, who had diabetes and hypertension, tested positive after he died at the Banga community health centre on Wednesday, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) director Jagat Ram said.
When contacted, district civil surgeon Rajinder Prasad Bhatia said the man had arrived from Germany via Italy on March 7. The resident of Banga came to the health centre with severe chest pain on Wednesday and immediately collapsed. He died later in the day, Bhatia said.
State principal secretary, health, Anurag Aggarwal confirmed that the sample of the Banga resident had tested positive. The report came on Wednesday night.
Punjab had earlier reported a confirmed case of coronavirus. He is a Hoshiarpur native who returned from Italy. He is hospitalised in Amritsar and recovering.
PATHLAWA VILLAGE SEALED
The native village of Pathlawa of the septuagenarian was sealed on Thursday after his death at the Banga civil hospital on Wednesday. The district administration and health authorities have quarantined 17 residents of the village, having a total population of 3,000. SBS Nagar deputy commissioner Vinay Bublani, Banga SDM Gautam Jain and a health team reached the spot.
DC Bublani said that they have implemented the containment plan of coronavirus in the village. The village roads have been sealed. No person is being allowed to leave or enter the village, except the services.
“The department has directed officials to ensure round-the-clock water and electricity supply to the village, besides food arrangements,” the DC said. He added that teams of doctors will visit every house for check up of every single resident. If anyone is found to be symptomatic, he/she will quarantined immediately.
Meanwhile, four health department employees, including a doctor who treated Baldev, have been isolated by the health authorities.
Also, two others, who were known to the deceased and have travel history to Europe, have also been kept under surveillance.
