Punjab: Leaves of medical staff cancelled to keep watch on coronavirus

Punjab government on Wednesday cancelled leaves of health department staff engd in keeping a watch on coronavirus.

" state government issued instructions to cancel holidays/leaves of all key staff engd in reporting and manment for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease)," said a government release.

"In wake of COVID-19, staff working for surveillance of coronavirus, reporting, tracing and manment will only be granted leave after getting sanction from Directorate Health Services so that screening as well as test process of suspected passengers would t affect," Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said on Wednesday.

government said State Surveillance Unit will be monitoring situation and all surveillance activities for coronavirus disease in state. Sidhu said a total of 35 persons with coronavirus-like symptoms in Punjab have tested negative. minister said till date a total of 22,236 passengers have been screened at international airports of Amritsar and Mohali.

He also said 16,549 passengers were screened at Attari-Wagah border in Amritsar and 5,687 passengers were screened at Dera Baba Nanak check post in Gurdaspur. Sidhu furr said of 1,517 passengers with travel history to China or transit stay at airports, 35 samples were collected for testing and all se were tested negative by National Institute of Virology in Pune.