Open to lockdown, but only if Mohali, Panchkula agree: Chandigarh

Dushyant Singh Pundir
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 26

Given the number of Covid cases, the UT Administration is open to imposing a lockdown, but only if Mohali and Panchkula agree to a simultaneous lockdown in the tricity.

An official said the Administration was in touch with the authorities of the neighbouring cities as they would not achieve the desired results if a complete lockdown was not imposed in the tricity.

The Centre has advised a 14-day lockdown in districts, cities and municipal areas reporting over 10 per cent positivity rate or operating at 60 per cent ICU or oxygen bed occupancy.

UT Adviser Manoj Parida had recently asked the governments of Punjab and Haryana to impose a simultaneous lockdown in the tricity to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. However, only the UT and Mohali imposed the lockdown and the proposal was turned down by the Haryana Government.

Meanwhile, the UT Administration has called an all-party meeting tomorrow to discuss the Covid-19 situation in the city. The meeting will be chaired by UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Chander Mukhi said the party was ready for all-round help at this hour of need.

“In government hospitals, Covid patients are asked to go to their houses on their own. Once a person is found positive, he/she should not be asked to go back on his/her own and be provided with an ambulance facility,” he suggested.

Except gynaecology and children wards, all government hospitals and dispensaries should be converted into Covid care centres, he said. Only emergency surgeries should be performed, he said.

He said a 50-bed government hospital in Palsora, which had not been utilised so far, could now be dedicated to Covid patients. Similarly, a hospital in the Police Lines in Sector 26 could be upgraded to a Covid hospital, he added.