Punjab CM prohibits all gatherings, orders aggressive tracking of Nizamuddin returnees

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday prohibited all gatherings in the state and also addressed aggressive tracking along with a 21-day quarantine for all the returnees from Nizamuddin Markaz. This comes after the number of positive cases across the country skyrocketed due to the congregation between March 13 and 15. The Chief Minister also spoke to the acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht while directing the Chief Secretary to discuss the matter with the SGPC, in view of the upcoming Baisakhi festival.

No Markaz related cases in Punjab yet

According to DGP Dinkar Gupta, some 200 persons from Punjab had visited Nizamuddin and returned to the state, at different times, with 12 districts believed to be affected. They were being tracked, along with some from others states who had arrived in Punjab for Tabligh Jamaat work. The Health Department has also been debriefing and contact tracing them. Although, so far, no Coronavirus confirmed cases related to the Markaz incident have come to light.

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At the review video conference with civic & police officials on Thursday, CM Amarinder Singh ordered quarantine for Pakistani nationals who had come to Amritsar from Delhi. He called for total preparedness to deal with any contingency in the 'long-drawn battle’ against COVID-19. Singh also warned the officials against any complacency in terms of curfew enforcement and law & order, as well as relief measures and management of essential supplies. 

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Life insurance cover for police personnel

Noting that police personnel were high-risk frontline workers in the battle against COVID-19, the Punjab CM has announced a life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person, along with special quarantine facility at ISTC Kapurthala and 2 other places in Bathinda and Patiala Zone, for police personnel who contract the illness. The Chief Minister also ordered distribution of masks and sanitisers to policemen on duty and directed the DGP to deploy the personnel on rotational basis. 

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In another significant decision, Captain Amarinder Singh allowed the Local Bodies Department to extend the services of the 2000-odd sanitation workers, due to retire on March 31, by three months in order to deal with the prevailing situation. Moreover, he informed that 10 lakh dry food packets will be distributed to the migrants and underprivileged by the end of this week. He also added that mobile testing vans will boost the testing in the state and public volunteers will be trained to man isolation beds.

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Image Credits: PTI