GROUP OF MINISTERS PUTS A BAN ON PLYING OF ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE STATE FROM MIDNIGHT ON MARCH 20

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TOOK STRICT MEASURES TO CHECK THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

• TAXIS & CYCLE RICKSHAWS WILL BE EXEMPTED FROM THE BAN
• BOARD EXAMINATIONS OF 10^TH & 12^TH STANDARD POSTPONED TILL MARCH 31
• GATHERING AT MARRIAGE FUNCTIONS & FUNERALS RESTRICTED TO 20 PERSONS
• DINING IN HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND DHABAS BANNED, CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND OTHER FUNCTIONS IN BANQUET HALLS HAVE ALSO BEEN PROHIBITED
• TAKE AWAY SERVICES AND HOME DELIVERY ALLOWED FOR HOTELS, RESTAURANTS AND DHABAS
• HOME QUARANTINE FOR PERSONS WITH TRAVEL HISTORY OF OTHER COUNTRY BE STRICTLY IMPLEMENTED
• NUMBER OF ISOLATION WARDS IN THE HOSPITALS TO BE INCREASED

Chandigarh, March 19: Taking serious note of the COVID-19 which is spreading its wings in the country, the Group of Ministers GoM today decided to take stringent action to prevent the public to move out of their houses without any emergency. The GoM which today met under the chairmanship of Mr. Brahm Mohindra, Local Bodies Minister decided to put a ban on plying of all public transport (Government and Private Buses) from midnight on March 20. Likewise all the Board examinations of 10^th and 12^th standard have also been postponed till March 31. All the public dealings in the government offices have been called off with immediate effect.

Disclosing this Mr. Brahm Mohindra said that GoM today held its meeting to review the emergent situation in view of rise of suspected cases in the state. He said that GoM decided in unison that it is time to take concrete and bold steps and the time to issue only advisories for the people has passed. The GoM decided that there is urgent need to prevent people to come out of their houses without any emergency. For this end, the GoM has decided to stop the operation of all the public transport (Government and Private Buses) from midnight on March 20 but the taxis and rickshaws have been exempted from the ban.

Another important decision taken by the GoM is to increase the number of isolation wards set at different Public, Private hospitals and Medical institutions and to strengthen the services by ensuring availability of medical and para medical staff and adequate stock of medicines. Similarly routine OPD services in the hospitals have also been postponed but emergency services at all the hospitals and PHCs will be continued 24X7. The GoM has also decided to close all the dental colleges and hospitals with immediate effect till March 31. The classes of 1^st and 2^nd year students in Medical Colleges have been postponed while the classes of 3^rd and 4^th years would be continued.

 Likewise the classes of 1^st year students in nursing colleges have been called off till March 31 but the classes of nursing students from 2^nd year onward would be continued. In case any eventuality the students of Medical Colleges in 3^rd and 4^th year are being given first hand training sessions to tackle with COVID-19 patients. The Minister said that GoM has also decided to restrict the gathering for any function like marriages and funerals upto 20 persons. Organizers of such functions have been advised to adhere to Hand Washing Protocol and proper cleanliness.

GoM close on the heels of notification issued by the CBSE, has decided to postpone all the Board examinations of 10^th and 12^th standard postponed till March 31.

GoM has also decided to strictly implement the Home Quarantine protocol for all the NRIs, Passengers who came from any country in last 15 days to remain in isolation at their homes upto 14 days. It has also been decided to do mandatory stamping with indelible ink of all such NRIs and passengers in a bid to identify them in case they go out. GoM has also generated appeal for all the citizen of the state to keep a check on the movement of any NRIs and passengers came from other countries and immediately inform the authority for keeping them under the observation for the safety of the public.

All the Deputy Commissioners, SSPs, CMOs, SMOs have been directed not to leave the station.

Mr. Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, , Mr. Balbir Singh Sidhu, Mr. Vijay Inder Singla and Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu all the cabinet ministers were present alongwith Mr. Karan Avtar Singh, Chief Secretary, Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Local Government, Mr. Tejvir Singh, Principal Secretary Chief Minister Punjab, Mr. Anurag Aggarwal, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare, Mr. K. Siva Prasad, Principal Secretary Transport, Mr. D.K Tiwari, Principal Secretary Medical Education and Research, Mr. Krishan Kumar, Secretary School Education, Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, MD PHSC, Mrs. Aninditta Mitra, Director, Information and Public Relations, Mr. Kumar Rahul, Secretary Health, Mr. Bhupinder Singh Director Local Bodies Department and Dr. Avneet Kaur Director Health & Family Welfare.