With the state’s Covid positivity rate sliding to 0.4%, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered the lifting of weekend and night curfew, and allowed gatherings of 100 persons indoors and 200 outdoors from Monday, while directing the DGP to challan all political leaders violating the Covid rules while holding rallies and protest meetings.
Even as he hoped that better sense will prevail on the political parties and leaders brazenly violating Covid-19 curbs by holding massive protests, he asked DGP Dinkar Gupta to issue challans against those indulging in anti-Covid behaviour.
The Chief Minister also ordered the opening of bars, cinema halls, restaurants, spas, swimming pools, gyms, malls, sports complexes, museums, zoos etc., subject to all eligible staff members and visitors having taken at least one dose each of the vaccine.
Though schools will continue to remain closed, colleges, coaching centres and all other institutions of higher learning shall be allowed to open by the Deputy Commissioner concerned, subject to a certificate having been submitted, that all teaching, non-teaching staff and students have been given at least one dose of vaccination, at least 2 weeks ago.
The Chief Minister, while reviewing the Covid situation virtually, said the situation will again be reviewed on July 20. Strict use of masks must be ensured at all times, the Chief Minister directed, while announcing the easing of restrictions.
Heath Secretary Hussan Lal said four districts had shown positivity of 1 or less than 1%, but the districts that still needed vigilance were Ludhiana, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur and Roop Nagar.
Referring to the cases of Mucormycosis, which has been reported in 623 patients as of July 8, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to work out a proposal for supporting and helping in the treatment of such patients. Of the 623 cases, 67 are from outside the state, the Health Secretary informed the meeting, adding that 337 cases were under treatment and 154 had been discharged while 51 patients had died. The maximum cases reported in day was 34 on May 27, while the average of daily cases in the first week of July stood at 5.
VACCINE SHORTAGE
With the state running out of Covishield and left with only one day’s stock of Covaxin, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday again stressed the need for an increase in vaccine supplies from the Centre.
An increase in supplies was critical given the gradual opening of sectors conditional to stakeholders having taken at least one dose, said the Chief Minister, directing the officials to continue pursuing aggressively the Centre for enhancement of the state’s quota.
Pointing out that Punjab had already vaccinated nearly 83 lakh eligible persons (approximately 27% of the population), the Chief Minister said that the stock was being utilised in the state without any wastage. Punjab was able to utilise more than 6 lakh doses in a single day when adequate supply was received, he said at the Covid review meeting. While the 1st dose has been administered to 70 lakh people, 13 lakh people have received the second dose, he added.
Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said during the meeting that the administration was following up with the Government of India for more doses.