Punjab makes masks mandatory amid rising Covid cases
PremiumPunjab Department of Home Affairs made wearing masks mandatory in educational institutions, government-private offices, and public spaces after a spike in Covid cases
Amid the upward movement of Covid-19 cases in Punjab, the state home affairs department on Saturday issued an advisory to ensure Covid-appropriate behavior is followed in educational institutions, government and private offices, indoor and outdoor gatherings, malls, public places, etc.
The department noted that many people are not following Covid-appropriate behavior, especially wearing masks. The home affairs department has now invoked the powers under Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 with all the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The department gave the following instructions to be followed with immediate effect:
1. Wearing of appropriate masks shall be ensured in all Educational Institutions, Government & Private Offices and indoor/outdoor gatherings, malls, Public places, etc. for the prevention of the further spread of the virus in the population and for the well-being of every individual.
2. Covid-19 appropriate behaviors to be strictly followed like social distancing, respiratory etiquette, and no spitting in public places.
3. Anyone having symptoms of Covid-19 must get tested and follow Covid-19 protocol.
4. All hospitals/Labs/Collection centers offering to test for Covid-19 must upload details of tests including positive and negative results on the COVA Portal of the Government of Punjab as well as intimate complete testing details.
5. Those due for the second dose and precautionary dose of the Covid-19 vaccine must take it at the earliest.
The decision of the government in this regard should be implemented strictly and also disseminated for compliance.
Punjab reported 285 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday and the seven-day average of cases was around 378. The state also reported five deaths due to the virus. The recent spike has taken the total tally of cases to more than 7.79 lakh and the total fatalities are 17,855.
The Covid-19 virus is seeing a spike all across the nation. On Friday, India reported around 15, 815 new Covid-19 cases and 68 deaths. The total number of cases has reached 4.42 crore and the total number of deaths is 5.27 lakh.
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