Punjab Lifts Weekend, Night Curfew; Bars, Malls Open For Those Vaccinated

With his state's Covid positivity rate sliding to 0.4 per cent, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today ordered the lifting of the weekend and night curfew and allowed gatherings of up to 100 persons indoors and 200 outdoors from Monday. In a meeting held today, he directed the state police to fine political leaders violating pandemic rules while holding rallies and protest meetings.

He ordered the opening up of bars, cinema halls, restaurants, spas, swimming pools, gyms, malls, sports complexes, museums, zoos etc subject to all eligible staff members and visitors who have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to a press release from the government.

While schools will remain closed, colleges, coaching centres, and other institutions of higher learning will reopen, subject to the submission of a certificate showing all teaching, non-teaching staff, and students have been given at least one dose of vaccination, at least two weeks ago.

Mr Singh will review the situation on July 20 and, till then, the protocol must be followed, the release said.

Punjab Health Secretary Hussan Lal has said, according to the release, that four districts had shown positivity of 1 per cent or less, but Ludhiana, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Firozpur, and Roop Nagar still need to remain vigilant.

Referring to cases of mucormycosis, reported in 623 patients as of July 8, the Chief Minister asked the Health Department to work out a proposal to support and help in the treatment of such patients. Of the 623, up to 67 are from outside the state, Mr Lal informed the meeting.

The Chief Minister noted that due to the SOPs in place and the level of Covid and post-Covid care, Punjab had had far fewer cases and deaths than most other states, including Haryana and Delhi. Against 623 cases and 51 confirmed deaths so far in Punjab, both Haryana and Delhi have seen over 1,600 cases each, and 193 and 236 deaths, respectively.