Amid rising cases, Punjab orders curbs for indoor and outdoor gatherings

Amid concern over the growing trend of COVID-19 in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered restrictions on indoor gatherings of 100 and outdoor gatherings of 200 people from from March 1.

Presiding over a high-level virtual meeting to take stock of the situation, the Chief Minister authorized the deputy commissioners to impose nighttime curfews in hot spots in their districts if necessary, with a micro-containment strategy to be adopted. He ordered the police to ensure strict enforcement of the wearing of masks, as well as the notification of COVID-19 monitors by all restaurants, wedding palaces, the Excise and Tax Department to be the nodal agency for that.

The chief minister said a decision on reducing the occupancy of cinemas would be taken after March 1. Private offices and restaurants would be encouraged to display the latest tests performed for all employees, he added.

While leading an increase in testing, Captain Singh ordered the mandatory testing of 15 contacts per positive, with surveillance to be done by OTPCs and review to be undertaken by the Department of Health.

Expressing concern at the case fatality rate of 3.23 cases (TFC), the chief minister took note of the findings of the mortality audit that many deaths occur within 2 to 14 days of hospitalization. He stressed the need for continuous monitoring of management protocols for patients with comorbidities, in particular in private establishments. Citing cases of certain deaths at home, he asked the health service to ensure adequate follow-up of cases of home isolation, in particular those with comorbidities.

In a brief presentation, Health Secretary Hussan Lal told the meeting that districts of Amritsar, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, SAS Nagar and SBS Nagar had shown a spike in positivity in recent days, raising concerns. as to a possible new wave in the state.