Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 25

Amid the grim Covid situation in Delhi-NCR and apprehensions of a second wave in Punjab, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh today ordered a series of fresh restrictions in the state, including re-imposition of night curfew in all towns and cities as well as doubling of fine for not wearing masks or following social distancing norms, with effect from December 1.

The curbs, which will shall be reviewed on December 15, also restrict opening timings of all hotels, restaurants and marriage palaces till 9.30 pm. Night curfew will remain in force from 10 pm to 5 am, announced the Chief Minister, warning people against letting their guard down under any circumstances.

On testing front

CM Capt Amarinder Singh stressed the need to fully utilise the 25,500 daily RT-PCR testing capacity and directed targeted and regular testing of potential super spreaders

District hospitals must have 24x7 testing available, he said

Giving details of the new restrictions after a high-level state Covid review meeting, an official spokesperson said fine for not following Covid-appropriate behaviour shall be hiked from the present Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.

Given the inflow of patients from Delhi for treatment in Punjab, it has also been decided to review and optimise the bed availability in the state’s private hospitals. The Chief Minister has asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to work with the departments concerned to encourage more private hospitals to come on board and earmark beds for Covid care.

To further strengthen the availability of oxygen and ICU beds, Capt Amarinder has ordered strengthening level 2 and 3 hospitals, with constant monitoring of districts that are not equipped with level 3 facilities. The management practices at GMCHs and Civil Hospitals should also be examined in light of the recommendations of the report received from the expert group, he said.

The CM also directed the Health and Medical Education Departments to make emergency appointments of specialists, super-specialists, nurses and paramedics, to further augment the manpower which was recently strengthened with the recruitment of 249 specialist doctors and 407 medical officers.

The district hospitals must have 24 x 7 testing available, and it must also be made available at other convenient locations where people could easily access the same, the CM said.

To ensure that no deaths take place in home isolation, Capt Amarinder said the agency hired to look into these cases should keep a tab on such patients. While mortality audit was ongoing, it was a matter of satisfaction that the department was now collecting reasons for placing patients on ventilator by private hospitals, and there was a referral group available to monitor these patients, he said.