Punjab government to announce new guidelines for gatherings, says CM

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 12

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Sunday that his government was working on stricter guidelines for social, religious and public gatherings.

In his live interaction programme, the Chief Minister said people were not seriously adhering to protocols on social distancing, wearing masks and other measures.

He said the new guidelines will be announced on Monday.

“I do not want Punjab to go the Delhi and Maharashtra way. It is necessary to come out with revised guidelines on gatherings. The guidelines would be announced tomorrow,” Chief Minister

Amarinder Singh said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh blamed the swell in Punjab’s cases on increased testing and the rise in the number of people entering Punjab from outside.

“In the last four days, 63,828 persons from outside had entered the state. The health and police authorities were tracking them and implementing in quarantine measures wherever required,” he said.

The development comes on a day when Punjab added 234 new coronavirus cases and four deaths to its tally, taking the infection count in the state to 7,821. Its death toll now stands one short of 200.

Punjab has been seeing a consistent rise in coronavirus cases since last month—a trend that matches the national trend of a surge in the number of infections. A look at Punjab’s figures shows that 71 per cent of the state’s 7,821 cases have been recorded since June 1.

The surge also corresponds Punjab’s easing of stricter restrictions on movement imposed on movement in March, when the state reported its first COVID-19 case. Punjab eased restrictions along the lines of the central government’s orders that came in an attempt to restart a stalled economy.