Expressing grave concern over the escalating COVID-19 crisis, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday asked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a fiscal package to combat the crisis and for permission to get tests done at private hospitals and labs in the State.
Taking part in the deliberations during a video conference convened by the Prime Minister with all the Chief Ministers to review the situation, Capt Amarinder said that there was urgent need to scale up the testing for the Coronavirus, and hence the Centre should immediately allow reputed private medical colleges and super-specialty hospitals.
Capt Amarinder Singh also suggested that Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi, should be allowed testing of close contacts of confirmed cases even without symptoms. He also requested the Prime Minister to immediately extend the travel ban on international flights for two weeks instead of one to prevent continued entry of NRIs into Punjab, and to enable the Government to track and test all those who had already come in.
Capt Amarinder also urged the Prime Minister to allow payment of wages to NREGA workers who could come to work as a preventive measures in view of COVID-19.
The Chief Minister further recommended that additional five kgs of wheat per person should be provided under Food Security Mission to help out the people in this hour of crisis. He also suggested that the Centre should soon come out with a comprehensive proposal to mitigate the adverse economic impact of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Capt Amarinder assured the Prime Minister that the State Government was fully prepared to combat any exigency arising out of COVID-19. “The entire state machinery, especially the Health Department, is geared to provide the best possible treatment to the symptomatic patients, who are under treatment in various Government Hospitals,” he said.
Apprising the Prime Minister about the current status, Capt Amarinder said that so far, three positive cases have been detected and one person had died (patient confirmed positive post-death).
Of the total 140 test results, test reports in 18 cases were awaited. As many as 96,273 travelers have been screened at Mohali and Amritsar airports, as well as Amritsar Wagah-Attari Border Check Post and Dera Baba Nanak Check Post in Gurdaspur. A total of 1454 travellers have been home quarantined, 47 government quarantined and 18 are in hospital isolation.
Elaborating the measures taken so far to meet any contingency in view of this deadly virus, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020, have been notified under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, on March 5, 2020.
Likewise, a Group of Ministers was also set up under his chairmanship to review the entire situation on day-to-day basis. He also mentioned about the State COVID-19 Management Group at the State Level and District COVID-19 Management Groups set up at district level to monitor the situation meticulously, so that the disease does not spread any more.
Capt Amarinder also stated that tracing is being done for all travellers from overseas in line with the Central Government directions and such contacts are kept under surveillance to break the transmission chain.
On the isolation or quarantine measures, the Chief Minister briefed the Prime Minister that as many as 16,890 beds have been earmarked for quarantine, besides 2800 hospital beds for Isolation identified in Government and Private facilities and 28 Ventilators have been made available at District level (14 in District hospitals and 14 in GMCs).
As a precautionary measure, all educational institutions (government or private) have been closed till March 31, 2020, and the State Board Examinations have been deferred till further orders.
To prevent people from visiting congested and crowded places, all malls, restaurants, cinema halls, gyms, swimming pools, marriage palaces have been closed till further orders. Public gatherings, including sports events, conferences, cultural events, fairs and exhibitions, have been prohibited till further orders.
Further, restrictions of up to maximum of 20 persons in social, religious and political gatherings have been strictly imposed. Likewise, orders under Section 144 CrP. have been issued, and public service vehicles including e-Rickshaws and auto-rickshaws except maxi cabs/motor cabs are prohibited from plying across the State till 31st March, 2020.
Advisory on avoiding non-essential visits to Government offices and public places has also been issued. The Government has also appealed to all religious heads to ask their devotees to follow Government directions on social distancing and observe health safeguards.
PUNJAB ALLOWS PLYING OF BUSES ON 48 ROUTES WITH STRICT RIDERS
Punjab Government on Friday allowed PRTC, PUNBUS, and Punjab Roadways to continue on 48 important routes in the State, while suspending the operations of all private bus operators in the State until March 31 “for public convenience”.
Notably, the Group of Ministers (GoM), taking stock of the situation arising out of spread of COVID-19 in Punjab in its meeting on Thursday, had decided to prohibit movement of all public service vehicles including all stage carriage, contract carriage buses, auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws.
However, for public convenience, the buses of PRTC, PUNBUS, and Punjab Roadways on specific routes and taxis having seating capacity of less than 12 passengers, that is maxi cabs and motor cabs, have been exempted from the prohibition orders, said the state Transport Minister Razia Sultana.
The Minister said that the prohibition, which comes into effect from March 20 midnight and will be in force till March 31, includes stage carriage as well as contract carriage buses coming from outside the state of Punjab.
“However, in case of emergency, concerned Deputy Commissioners as well as State Transport Commissioner are authorized to exempt any public service vehicle from operation of this order,” she said while further clarifying that this ban doesn't cover goods carriers and private service vehicles, that is factory, staff buses etc.
Sultana said that it was also decided by Group of Ministers to reduce non-essential public dealing in government offices. “In view of that, it was decided to temporarily suspend the work of issue of driving licenses including driving test with effect from March 23 till 31, 2020. However, work related other services like registration vehicles, tax etc shall continue as usual,” she said.
HEALTH MINISTER APPEALED TO NRIs TO REPORT OR STAY INDOORS
A day after Punjab reported its first corona positive patient’s death, the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Friday appealed to the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), who are visiting Punjab, to stay at their homes and avoid large gatherings in the wake of the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
The appeal came after three positive cases of the virus in Punjab had travel history to other countries.
“I appeal to NRIs not to mix up much with local people and should avoid large gatherings in villages. They should stay at their homes,” said Sidhu while further asking them to get themselves properly checked at the nearest district hospitals if they have any symptoms.
“Any negligence on their part could endanger the lives of others...It is essential for them to follow the guidelines of the government,” he said.
During this time, a large number of NRIs from other countries visit their native places in Punjab. Doaba region comprising Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts in Punjab is a well known belt of NRIs.
The health authorities in these districts have been urging them to get themselves screened at the government hospitals.
At the same time, the Minister also appealed to all the people in the State that if any NRI has come to the house or neighbourhood, people must share details of those persons in order to prevent the spread. “If you have an NRI person in your house or neighbourhood, you should not hesitate in providing details of such persons. After all, it is a matter of someone's life,” he added.
“We have issued an advisory in the State. We are monitoring the situation in the State very closely. Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh too is reviewing the situation as well,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister has also quarantined himself on Friday at his official residence in Sector 39 in Chandigarh. A public notice has been pasted outside his official residence saying that there is no public dealing till March 31.
“Everything is ok but I prefer to stay indoors in my house and not going to meet anyone till this coronavirus scare gets over,” he said.