The Punjab government on Monday imposed a curfew to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), making it the first state to take the drastic measure.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced the curfew as people were defying the lockdown imposed in the state, officials said.
After reviewing the situation with the chief secretary and the DGP, Amarinder announced a full curfew with no relaxations, an official spokesperson said.
Curfew was imposed as people were still coming out in large numbers. So the idea is to keep them inside, a senior official told PTI.
The deputy commissioners have been asked to issue the necessary orders, the spokesperson said.
Anybody seeking relaxations to the restrictions will get them for a given period and purpose, the spokesperson added.
Last week, the Amarinder government had suspendedĀ public transport.
