Punjab, on Thursday, reported 441 fresh cases of COVID-19, taking the state's tally to 11,739. The state now has 3,721 active cases.
The authorities are on their toes as 2,645 cases and 47 deaths have been reported in just one week.
In view of the increasing number of violations of the COVID-19 protocols, the state has increased the fines. Patients violating home quarantine instructions will have to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. Punjab, as of now, has 951 patients under home quarantine. There have been frequent complaints about those in home quarantine stepping out or violating other restrictions.
Announcing the revised fines, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said the government would not tolerate any carelessness that could aggravate the COVID-19 crisis in the state. He announced a fine of Rs 5,000 for commercial shop owners and restaurants who fail to implement social distancing norms on their premises. The earlier fine was Rs 2,000.
Besides, commercial establishments hosting social gatherings have been asked to record the functions. If the number of people attending the event is found to be above permissible limits, a fine of Rs 10,000 will be imposed on the organisers.
Not wearing a mask in public will attract a fine of Rs 500, and spitting in public can attract a fine of Rs 200.
Punjab has also withdrawn over 6,000 cops from non-core duties to create COVID-10 reserves. As many as 202 COVID reserves have been created in police stations across the state, in addition to 20 in armed battalions. The reserves have been created to improve operational readiness for enforcement of pandemic norms and protocol in the state. The diversion of the force has been done from non-core police duties at district police offices, police lines, sanjh kendras, security of VIPs and bureaucrats. The cops on temporary attachments with other departments have also been called back.
Meanwhile, the chief minister also directed the state chief secretary to work out the modalities for setting up plasma banks in government medical colleges at Fardikot and Amritsar in addition to Patiala, where the state’s first plasma bank was recently inaugurated. Citing high positivity rate in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, the chief minister also directed the health department to step up surveillance and testing to contain further spread of the pandemic as both the cities have recorded over 4,000 Covid cases and 75 deaths.
