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The Punjab government has announced a fresh set of curbs to control the spike in the daily COVID-19 tally and extended the night curfew timings from 8 pm to 5 am.
Announcing the fresh curbs, Punjab Chief Minister Capitan (retired) Amarinder Singh said on Twitter that stricter measures are a must in view of the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases. He informed that the decision was taken after a COVID review meeting held on Monday. According to the new guidelines issued on Monday, Punjab has imposed a ban on all social, political, religious and cultural gatherings and announced that all malls, shops, markets, bars, cinema halls, gyms, spas, coaching centres and sports complexes in the state will stay closed till April 30. All weekly markets will also be closed, it said. However, the Punjab government said that marriages and wedding functions can be organised but only 20 people would be allowed to attend them. In the case of funerals also only 20 people will be allowed. Every gathering of over 10 persons to be allowed with prior approval of District administration except for cremations, the order reads. It said that the persons who have attended large gatherings anywhere (religious/political/social) to be mandatorily home quarantined for 5 days and tested as per protocol. Night curfew timing across the State shall be from 8 pm to 5 am, including for weddings. However, all the essential activities including operations of the industry as well as 'to and fro' movement of passengers travelling via air, trains, buses etc. shall remain exempted from curfew restrictions. Punjab government also directed the transport department to restrict the number of passengers in buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws to 50 per cent of the vehicle's capacity. The government also ordered the postponement of the recruitment exams for patwaris and others. It also directed to increase micro-containment zones in high positivity areas. The government in the guidelines advised that Health and frontline workers and employees over 45 years in government and private offices who have not got at least one vaccine dose in the last 15 days or more and should be encouraged to take leave and stay home until then. Employees under 45 years to be allowed only on basis of negative RT-PCR (Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction), not more than 5 days old or else should take leave and stay home, the order reads. (ANI)
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