Punjab Extends Weekend Lockdown Till Aug 31, Imposes Night Curfew Amid Rise In Covid-19 Cases

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, making the announcement on Thursday evening, called for "war-like preparedness" to deal with the spike in coronavirus cases.

(File Photo/ Getty)

Chandigarh: On the backdrop of significantly rising Coronavirus cases in Punjab, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday ordered a series of new measures, including extension of weekend lockdown along with daily night curfew from 7pm to 5am in all 167 cities and towns of the state from August 21. Calling for "war-like preparedness" to deal with the massive Covid-19 spike, the Chief Minister has also ordered a complete ban on all kinds of gatherings except for weddings and funeral still August 31.

Weekend lockdown, daily night curfew from 7 PM to 5 AM in all cities/towns from tomorrow, as Punjab Chief Minister @capt_amarinder Singh announces emergency measures. https://t.co/eebjlH1Pz7

— CMO Punjab (@CMOPb) August 20, 2020

As per reports, all emergency measures will be in place till August 31 which include restrictions on public and private transport, a ban on public gatherings (except for weddings and funerals) and closing of 50 per cent of shops, in the five worst-affected districts, selling non-essential goods. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, making the announcement on Thursday evening, called for "war-like preparedness" to deal with the spike in coronavirus cases. The government and private offices will work at 50 per cent capacity till the end of this month, as per the directives issued by the CM during a video conference meeting to review the COVID situation in the state. He also directed the officials concerned to restrict public visitors in government offices and to encourage the use of online grievance redressal system, which has been significantly strengthened by the state government to minimise in-person contact. In the five worst-affected districts of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and Mohali, restrictions on vehicular capacity have been imposed again, with buses and other public transport to operate with 50 per cent capacity and private four-wheelers not allowed to carry more than three passengers per vehicle. The CM has also directed the Deputy Commissioners in these five districts to allow only 50 per cent of the non-essential shops to open on a daily basis to check crowding. As per reports, these five districts currently account for 80 per cent of the active case load in the state. The state government has asked administration to strictly enforce compliance of rules with regard to the number of persons allowed to attend weddings and funerals, and also to ensure total ban on political gatherings till August 31, when the situation will be reviewed. The chief minister has also asked DGP to crack the whip on all political protests and gatherings, and asked his own Congress' leadership to enforce the ban strictly. "Enough is enough," said Amarinder Singh, adding that "we need to be tough without affecting the state's economic activity".