With the surge in Covid-19 cases, the Chandigarh administration on Friday announced that there will be a weekend lockdown starting from 10pm on April 16 till 5am on April 19 (Monday).
Following decisions were taken in a high-level War Room Meeting today:
(1) All gymnasium and spa will remain closed till April 30.
(2) The cinema halls can run with 50% capacity.
(3) The residents must stay indoor during the lockdown period. Only essential activities will be allowed.
(4) All government offices will function with 50% of staff till April 30.
(5) Public visitors will be allowed to meet the officers only with prior appointment.
(6) There will be a ban on social, cultural, political, religious events etc.
(7) The existing limit of gatherings in permitted functions will be reduced to 100 (outdoor) and 50 (indoor).
(8) The transport buses will run with 50% capacity only.
(9) The Museums, Libraries, Coaching Institutions etc will remain closed. However, online coaching will be permitted.
(10) During the lockdown period, those going for appearing in examination and those on examination duties will be allowed movement on production of admit/identity cards.
(11) There will be screening of all visitors to the city at airport, railway station, ISBT etc.
(12) During the weekend lockdown, home delivery of food will be allowed.
(13) All vaccination centres/testing centres/dispensaries/medical facilities will remain open during lockdown and people going there will be allowed.
(14) All inter-state travellers will be allowed on all days including lockdown period.
UT Administrator also expressed serious concern about the rising number of Covid cases in the city and the high fatality being observed. He gave the following directions to the authorities :-
(a) All the three medical institutions should ramp-up their facilities for accommodating increasing number of corona patients.
(b) All corona related deaths must be specifically audited and reports sent. Sector 48 Hospital should be made fully functional, so that it can function as an exclusive Covid hospital.
(c) All hospitals must store enough oxygen, adequate vaccines etc. for use by corona patients along with required medicines.
(d) All corona patients presently under home quarantine must be regularly contacted and necessary assistance provided to them for recovery. Helpline numbers (0172-2752038, 2634074, 2738087, 9646121642, 97795-58282 & 70875-77447)
(e) Mobile teams should be sent to temples, gurdwaras, mosques and other crowded places during festival season, so that visitors could be screened and symptomatic cases could be tested.
(f) All shops must get their staff tested. Such staff should display a signboard stating that their premises are corona free.
(g) Action will be taken against not only the shoppers who go to markets without wearing masks but also against those shopkeepers, who attend to non-wearing masks customers.
New restrictions for marriage and funerals gatherings imposed in Mohali
In wake of rapid spike in the Covid-19 cases in Mohali, Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan informed that gathering in marriages and funerals in the district will henceforth restricted to 20 persons and special naakas are being set up around Containment Zones to maintain a strict vigil over unauthorised movement in or out of containment zones.
Police and Revenue Officers would conduct surprise checks in markets and crowded areas to challan the offenders. They would also conduct joint inspections of marriage palaces wherein not just the guests found violating safety protocols would be penalised but action would also be taken against the owner of the marriage palace for failing to ensure compliance to the guidelines in his premises.
Police officials will impound cars plying in curfew hours and ensure enforcement of curfew at strict 9pm, including shutting down of liquor vends. Joint teams of civil and police officers would keep a tab on Home Isolation and Geo-fencing Breaches by Covid patients.
“We have constituted additional ten Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) per subdivision for quick response to distress calls. They would ensure COVID kit distribution and monitor health of COVID positive patients,” informed the DC.
As far as treatment facility is concerned orders have been passed to hospitals in the district to increase L2, L3 beds and to set up exclusive dedicated blocks within hospitals for COVID care. “We are also monitoring oxygen supply to prevent shortage and over-pricing.”
