Punjab eases restrictions; allows non-essential shops on weekends & reduces night curfew

Easing restrictions in Punjab, CM Capt. Amarinder Singh on Monday, announced relaxations in lockdown in urban areas, including opening of non-essential shops on Saturdays & relaxation in their timing from Monday to Saturday till 9 PM. He also reduced the nightly curfew in all cities/towns now from 9:30 PM to 5 AM, while hotels and restaurants were allowed to remain open till 9 PM. The CM also extended retiring doctors and specialists' term by three more months, as Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases continue to soar in the state.

Health Ministry deploys central teams to Punjab, Chandigarh to assist in COVID management

Punjab eases restrictions

Punjab reports highest single-day spike of 1,946

2 MLAs test positive, sends CM into week-long isolation

A week ago, two MLAS -  Nirmal Singh and Kulbir Singh Zira had entered the House only for 15 minutes after their initial test result was negative, but then tested positive later. Soon after that, the CM self-quarantined himself for a week, after coming in contact with both MLAs. On Saturday, Singh tested negative for Coronavirus (COVID-19), ending his week-long isolation. As of date, one-fourth of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha i.e 31 MLAs have tested positive for COVID-19. Among these, seven have already recovered from the contagion.

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh tests negative for COVID-19, ends week-long isolation

A one-day Punjab Assembly session was held on August 29 passing a resolution rejecting the farm ordinances promulgated by the Centre. State govt had also announced that Punjab will have a lockdown on a daily basis from 7 PM to 5 AM, inspite of Centre disallowing local lockdowns under 'Unlock 4'. Meanwhile, Centre has sent two-member teams comprising of a Community Medicine expert from PGIMER, Chandigarh and an epidemiologist from NCDC to Punjab and Chandigarh to help control the spread of the COVID-19.

Punjab govt imposes daily lockdown from 7 PM to 5 AM; 29 MLAs test positive for COVID-19

Punjab's COVID battle

Punjab reported the sharpest single-day spike of 1,946 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, pushing the COVID-19 tally to 63,473 in the state. Fifty-four more COVID-19 deaths took the toll to 1,862 in the state, according to a government medical bulletin. A total of 1,606 coronavirus patients were discharged from several places including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Mohali, Sangrur, Bathinda, Pathankot and Hoshiarpur after recovering from infection. A total of 11,93,260 samples have been collected for testing so far in the state, it said.