People rush to Mohali markets

Tribune News Service

Mohali, March 23

Panic gripped Mohali residents after the Punjab Government announced curfew in the state. Hundreds of people rushed to markets, provision stores and chemist shops here to purchase ration and medicines.

After the imposition of curfew in the district around 2 pm, the police cordoned off all roads in the city. After giving relaxation for a few minutes, the police asked people to return to their homes and directed shopkeepers and chemists to close their shops.

The police also sealed Mohali borders with other districts of the state as well as the UT of Chandigarh and Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The police only allowed those people in the district who had some work or medical exigency.

District Magistrate Girish Dayalan, while imposing the curfew, said lockdown was put in place in the territorial jurisdiction of the district in public interest with immediate effect up to March 31. He said a lot of non-essential movement of people and vehicles was reported against the measures taken by the administration for isolation and social distancing to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the district.

Dayalan said such movement posed a threat to public health due to Covid-19, which poses a danger to human life, health and safety forcing him to impose curfew in the district till further orders.

The order reads: “No person shall leave home or move on foot or by vehicle or travel or stand or roam around on any road or public place (except for emergency medical aid). Any assembly of 5 or more persons shall not be allowed anywhere in the district. This shall not apply to those tasked with law and order, emergency and municipal services duties, including executive magistrates, police personnel, military/paramilitary personnel in uniform, health, electricity, government machinery tasked with Covid19-related duties and those especially issued a permit by the DM/ADM/SDM or other officer authorised in this behalf.”

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