Ludhiana district falls under Centre’s criteria for imposing additional restrictions

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 28

Ludhiana continues to get ravaged by the current onslaught of the devastating second Covid wave and falls under the Centre’s criteria for imposing additional restrictions to contain the further loss caused by the deadly virus.

Showing over 10 per cent positivity rate in the last one week and more than 60 per cent bed occupancy on oxygen and ICU support, Ludhiana was identified among 13 districts in the state that meet the Union Government’s criteria for stricter enforcement of Covid norms.

Taking a serious note of the unprecedented and unabated surge in the virus spread, the Centre had on April 25 advised the states to impose complete 14-day lockdown in the districts and municipal areas reporting over 10 per cent positivity rate and 60 per cent occupancy of oxygen and ICU beds in the hospitals.

In a presentation on current Covid situation in the state before Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the Health and Family Welfare Department has listed Mohali, Mansa, Muktsar, Bathinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Faridkot, Amritsar, Patiala, Barnala, and Hoshiarpur, besides Ludhiana as the worst-hit

districts that meet the Centre’s criteria of imposing stricter restrictions.

“The Chief Minister has been apprised of the situation with facts and figures. Any decision on imposing stricter restrictions as per the Centre’s advice has to be taken at the highest-level,” a top government functionary told The Tribune.

Besides advising complete 14-day lockdown, the Centre had sought appointment of nodal officers to identify local containment areas based on reported cases, imposition of night curfew, restrictions on gatherings and closure of all shopping complexes, exempting those dealing with essential and emergency services in such areas.

The Centre’s advisory further sought to run public transport at 50 per cent capacity, all government and private offices at 50 per cent occupancy, allow all industrial and scientific establishments to remain open subject to following Covid protocol with their employees being RAT tested every week

and ensuring testing and surveillance, clinical management, vaccination and community engagement.

The Union Government has recommended to put in place all these restrictions with complete enforcement for a period of 14 days before reviewing the situation for further course of action.

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