New Punjab COVID-19 Restrictions Announced: Schools and Colleges Closed; limits on social gatherings

Chandigarh: Amid the growing number of coronavirus cases in the state, the government of Punjab on Friday announced new restrictions to deal with the worsening COVID-19 situation. The Congressional government of CM Captain Amarinder Singh has announced the measures listed below, most of which will take effect from Saturday.

In addition, the state government announced the reinstatement of the micro-containment strategy in all districts of the state while stepping up COVID-19 testing. Additionally, properly functioning hospitals have been urged to restore COVID-19 beds and put elective surgeries on hold.

The government also announced that starting next week, an hour of silence will be observed across the state every Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon in memory of those who have lost their lives due to COVID. 19. No vehicle will be allowed to circulate during this period.

List of COVID-19 restrictions in Punjab:

1. All educational institutions except medical and nursing colleges will remain closed until March 31.
2. Only 50 percent of the capacity of theaters / cinemas can be occupied.
3. No more than 100 people allowed in shopping malls at any one time.
4. In urban areas of the 11 worst-affected districts, the nighttime curfew hours have been extended by 2 hours and the same will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. These districts are: Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar and Moga.
5. In the urban areas of these 11 neighborhoods, a ban on social gatherings, naked burials, cremations and weddings that can be organized with a maximum of 20 people. This measure comes into effect on Sunday.
6. In these areas, cinemas, multiplexes, restaurants and shopping centers will remain closed on Sundays. Home delivery of food will be permitted subject to nighttime curfew hours.
7. People should limit social activity in their homes for the next two weeks to break the chain of transmission and no more than 10 visitors should be allowed in any one home, the CM appealed.
8. Meanwhile, Amritsar’s deputy commissioner announced that the night curfew would also be imposed on Amritsar from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

We must be ready for a long battle: CM Amarinder Singh

Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress has announced that it is suspending all gatherings until March 31 due to the increase in coronavirus cases in the state. CM Amarinder also called on other parties to limit the number of people at their public events, i.e. to 50% of the capacity, subject to a maximum of 100 people in confined spaces and 200 people in open spaces. In addition, no political rally should be organized in the most affected districts.

The CM also asked the Amritsar district collector to speak to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak (SGPC) committee and the Durgiana temple leadership about wearing masks inside the shrines beneath them.

The state’s DGP and the health department have also been tasked with catching people not wearing masks in public places and taking them to the nearest COVID-19 RT-PCR testing centers for testing. test.

The Punjab CM has also asked all private and government hospitals and health facilities to allow immunization services for at least 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, until March 31.

The state government, meanwhile, has delayed procurement operations until April 10 due to the current COVID-19 situation.

“We must be prepared for this second outbreak,” said the CM, referring to four peaks seen during the Spanish flu of 1918. “We must be ready for a long battle,” he warned.

The CM announced that the coronavirus situation would be reviewed after two weeks. All of these measures were announced today by the Chief Minister during a review meeting on the coronavirus situation.