Weekend lockdown in Chandigarh: Only essential activities allowed, gyms and spas to be closed
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 16
Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, VP Singh Badnore on Friday presided over the war room meeting where it was decided that there will be a weekend lockdown in the city starting from 10 pm on April 16 (Friday) till 5 am on April 19 (Monday).
The meeting was attended by Manoj Parida, Adviser to the Administrator, and Arun Kumar Gupta, Principal Secretary Home at Punjab Raj Bhawan.
The UT Administration has urged the people not to believe in a fake report being attributed to The Tribune on lockdown. The fake news is being circulated by someone on social media. The Administration has clarified that official orders on lockdown are on the UT Administration website.
The report being shared is a news item from last year.
Also read: Chandigarh announces weekend lockdown
Weekend Lockdown
There will be a weekend lockdown starting from 10 pm on 16/04/2021 (Friday) till 5 am on 19/04/2021 (Monday).
Other Restrictions
Following restrictions will apply till 30/04/2021.
(1) All gymnasium and spa will remain closed till 30/04/2021.
(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. Detailed orders will be issued by Deputy Commissioner.
(4) All government offices will function with 50% of staff till 30/04/2021
(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 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.
Dr Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, stated that they have 222 Covid cases in Nehru Extension Block, out of which 67 belong to Chandigarh, 82 to Punjab, 41 to Haryana, 22 to Himachal Pradesh and 10 from other states.
He mentioned that they have tested 3,492 Covid samples, out of which 552 were found positive. Thus, the positivity rate was 15.8 per cent.
The director further mentioned that the samples which were sent to genome testing reveal that 70 per cent of the affected cases carried UK strain.
This strain apparently affected younger patients and spread much faster than the earlier strain.
Dr Jasbinder Kaur, Director Principal, GMCH-32, stated that they have tested 1,971 Covid samples, out of which 209 were found positive.
Thus, the positivity rate was 10.01 per cent. She further mentioned that there were 38 patients in Dhanwantry College, 37 in Sood Dharamshala, 36 in Sector 48 hospital and 38 in GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh.
She mentioned that the number of mobile teams have been increased from two to 10, so that collection of samples from outside can be substantially increased.
Dr Amandeep Kang, Director Health Services, stated that they have tested 8,834 Covid samples, out of which 1,230 were found positive.
Thus, the positivity rate was 13.9 per cent.
She also mentioned that cumulative positivity rate for the entire city since the beginning of COVID-19 has been 9.2 per cent.
She mentioned that six vaccination teams are available to be sent to various sites for conducting vaccination sessions. She also mentioned that till date 1,33,132 vaccine doses had been administered in the UT.
Governor Badnore expressed serious concern about the rising number of Covid cases in the city and also 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-mask wearing customers.
