Punjab Government is in talks with the Centre to initiate the process of screening of passengers at major railway stations amidst the Coronavirus scare. Ahead of the impending wheat harvesting season, the State Government has expressed concerns over the expected inflow of migratory workers or labour from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and other States which comes at a time when the authorities concerned are taking serious and strong steps to check the spread of deadly virus.
During the wheat harvest season, starting from April, a huge number of migratory labour comes to Punjab to work in the fields. Considering the same, a senior government official told The Pioneer that we have raised the issue with the Centre and apprised them of the entire situation.
“We are planning to set up the screening systems at all major railway stations in the State, besides Delhi and Chandigarh,” said the official adding that soon, the thermal screening sensors or other screening equipment would be set up at the major railways stations in Ambala, Ludhiana, and others.
Only a day before, the State Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu had informed that the State is considering to start the screening of all rail passengers.
Informing about the preparations for dealing with the virus, Sidhu had informed that the there are 500 beds each in Amritsar and Mohali Government hospitals for the purpose of quarantine. Besides, the Government has directed to put on hold the retirement of many Government doctors, who are to retire on March 31 as an outcome of the Government’s recent decision to reduce retirement age from 60 to 58.
As per the latest updates from the Heath Department, till date only one confirmed case of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has been reported from the State. “The case has travel history of Italy and was checked at Amritsar International Airport and admitted at GMC Amritsar and is stable now. His family members are negative and are stable,” said the spokesperson.
The spokesperson said that the Central Government is sharing daily lists of passengers of travel from different foreign countries with the State. “The passengers are screened at port of entry at Delhi or other airports. As a matter of precaution and to ensure surveillance of each and every passenger, the State Government is visiting and calling every passenger daily till surveillance period of 14 days from day of arrival,” said the spokesperson.
Till date, the State has received the names of 6886 passengers, out of which 6,283 total number of passengers have been contacted by the state Health Department.
Out of the total 100 samples tested by the Department, only one patient has tested positive till date, while 95 have tested negative, and the results for remaining four are awaited.
At present, total 2333 patients have been kept under surveillance, out of which only eight are under hospital observation, while remaining 2325 are in home surveillance.
“Two facilities with 500 beds have been established for quarantine of passengers coming from China, Italy, Iran Korea, France, Spain and Germany at Amritsar and SAS Nagar,” said the spokesperson adding that three passengers are under Government quarantine (two from Germany and one from France) at Amritsar and all are stable.
The Health Department has taken IMA (Indian Medical Association) on board for collaboration with the State for management of COVID-19, said the spokesperson.
SANGRUR SSP, IAS OFFICER WIFE UNDER ISOLATION
Punjab Government has kept the two IAS-IPS officer couples, who had returned from holidays in Italy and Switzerland, under isolation.
Sangrur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Garg and his IAS officer wife Surbhi Malik, who is Patiala Development Authority’s chief administrator, along with Mohali Deputy Commissioner Girish Dyalan and his IPS officer wife Avneet Kondal, who is Fatehgarh Sahib SSP, are being quarantined.
The condition of all four officers is stable, and their 14-day quarantine period would end on March 16.
CORONA SCARE: WEDDING DATES BEING POSTPONED
With the Central Government imposing strict travel restrictions amidst Coronavirus scare, the Punjabis are pushing back the wedding dates, for which all the preparations, and booking arrangements have already been done. The people are cancelling the bookings for marriage palaces, community centres, or hotels.
Owner of Sohi Banquets at Zirakpur-Kalka highway, Samuel Massey, said that people are cancelling their bookings for weddings this week and are making reservations for April. Our three bookings have been cancelled so far, he said.
A Canada-based NRI family, with roots in Jalandhar, has also decided to postpone marriage of their son despite all arrangements being in place already. But the family has decided to postpone the wedding as the Central Government has cancelled all visas and also announced that those arriving in India could be quarantined.
VIRAST-E-KHALSA CLOSED FOR VISITORS TILL FURTHER ORDERS
Punjab Government on Sunday closed heritage museum Virast-e-Khalsa at Sri Anandpur Sahib for the visitors till further orders. Informing, the official spokesperson of the state Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department said that the decision has been taken as precautionary measure to prevent spreading of Corona Virus.
PUNJAB PASSENGER DIES MID-AIR
A native of Punjab, who returned to Amritsar in a flight from Malaysia, was found dead by airport authorities. The officials said that the cause of death is yet to be ascertained as the post-mortem has not been conducted owing to fear of death by Coronavirus.
The 44-year-old, belonging to a village near Amritsar, went to Malaysia four months back, his family told the airport authorities. The person, identified as Hukam Singh, died mid-air and the flight landed at the Amritsar international airport on early Sunday.
His identification was done by the Airport officials who maintained that the passenger was travelling alone.
DEVOTEES DISAPPOINTED AFTER PILGRIMAGE TO KARTARPUR SUSPENDED
Devotees have expressed disappointment on the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision to temporarily suspend the travel and registration for Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan from Monday.
“For several years, we had been demanding the opening of Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor so that the Indian Sikhs could get the opportunity to pay respect to this religious site,” said Rashpal Singh, one of the devotees who visited the Gurudwara on Sunday. He said: “I pray that the Coronavirus pandemic ends soon and the devotees are again be able to visit the religious site.”
Medical Officer Adesh Sharma said that each person travelling through the Kartarpur corridor to Pakistan is being thoroughly checked for any symptoms of Coronavirus. “We are taking their temperature and keeping a note of their travel history by checking their passports,” he said.