Mohali administration imposes stricter restrictions as district reports new high in COVID cases

Tribune News Service
Mohali, August 17

Mohali reported 102 new coronavirus cases on Monday, district officials said—the biggest single-day spike the district has seen since it saw its first COVID-19 case in March.

The development took the district’s coronavirus count to 1,911 cases, 47 per cent of which are still active. The district has seen 36 COVID-19 deaths so far.

The alarming rise of Mohali’s cases has led to Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan announcing some additional restrictions with the municipal limits. These include a ban on all movement of people except for those involved in offering essential services between 9 pm to 5 am—night curfew hours in Punjab—and imposing new closing time for shops and commercial establishments that offer non-essential services.

 According to the new order, the hospitality industry—restaurants and hotels— as well as liquor shops must close by 8:30 pm. Shops and shopping malls cannot stay open beyond 8 pm.

Those involved in essential services as well as industries—including those working in shifts —and those travelling to their destinations from bus and train stations and airports will be exempted from the new movement restriction. This will also not apply to the movement of people and cargo on national and state highways.

The new order says any violation is punishable under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 as well as the Indian Penal Code.