Coronavirus crisis:Punjab Health Minister assures citizens of regular supply of essentials

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, on Sunday, appealed to all citizens to follow government advisories in order to fight coronavirus successfully. Punjab has reported 21 active cases of the virus.

'Follow the guidelines'

The Minister also reassured the citizens that regular supply of all essential commodities will be available during the lockdown period, which was announced earlier on Sunday.

Captain Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government has announced a complete lockdown in the state till March 31, amid the Coronavirus outbreak. "Punjab government will enforce lockdown in the entire state till March 31, a senior official told PTI in Chandigarh. Eleven more persons tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Saturday, taking the total number of confirmed cases of the infection to 21 in the state.

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CM Singh also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fiscal package to combat the coronavirus crisis and permission to get tests done at private hospitals and labs in the state. He expressed grave concern over the escalating COVID-19 crisis while taking part in the deliberations during a video conference convened by the prime minister with all the CMs to review the situation, a government release said.

CM Singh also appealed to industrialists in the state to not deduct salaries of their employees for this period. He also lauded industrial groups that have announced that their workers will be given full wages. 

READ: West Bengal Announces Complete Lockdown From March 23 To March 27 Amid Coronavirus

At least 341 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in India with at least seven reported deaths.

Globally, more than 13,000 people have died due to Coronavirus, with the epicenter being China. The virus has infected around 3,08,000 people globally and has now spread to North America, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and more than 100 other countries.

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