Punjab CM Amarinder Singh announces weekend lockdown in all cities amid rising COVID-19 cases

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday (August 20) ordered a series of emergency measures from tomorrow (August 21) amid rising COVID-19 cases in the state. The measures include the extension of weekend lockdown and imposition of daily night curfew from 7 pm to 5 am in all the 167 cities and towns of Punjab. 

The Punjab government also ordered a total ban on all gatherings except weddings and funerals till August 31. All the government and private offices will work at 50 percent capacity till the end of this month, according to an official release.

Earlier, the weekend lockdown was in force only in three cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, and Patiala, and the same has now been extended to all the cities and towns in the state. The night curfew will be from 7 pm till 5 am instead of the earlier 9 pm to 5 am in all cities and towns.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh called for 'war-like preparedness' to deal with the massive COVID spike in the state. The latest measures came as the state has been witnessing a sharp surge in the number of coronavirus cases for the past several days.

The CM also directed the officials concerned to restrict public visitors in government officials and encourage the use of an online grievance redressal system, which has been strengthened by the state government to minimise in-person contact with hassle-free online engagement, the release said.

Singh also directed Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta to strictly enforce compliance of rules with regard to the number of persons allowed to attend weddings and funerals, and also to ensure the total ban on political gatherings till August 31, when the situation will be reviewed.

He also asked the DGP to crack the whip on all political protests and gatherings and asked his own party-state leadership to enforce the ban strictly.

Till Thursday evening, the state's coronavirus tally stood at 37,824 cases with 957 deaths.