Concerned over the surge in COVID-19 cases and increasing number of deaths in the State, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday said he was not averse to imposing harsher measures to check further spread of the pandemic.
At a virtual conference of his Cabinet, which reviewed the COVID-19 situation, the Chief Minister, in response to a suggestion from the expert health advisory committee chairman K.K. Talwar, said if needed, the State government would consider going in for strong measures to combat the virus, according to an official statement.
Though he did not rule out a lockdown, especially in areas with spike in cases, Captain Amarinder made it clear that economic activity will not be allowed to suffer. Earlier, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who is heading a expert group for revival of the State’s economy, also said any measures to check COVID-19 spread should not impact economic activity.
In his presentation on COVID-19 crisis, Dr. Talwar said four districts of Ludhiana, Mohali, Jalandhar and Patiala were witnessing the maximum surge and needed stricter preventive measures to control the situation. The scenario in the State, he said, was grim, with 32,000 plus cases and more than 800 fatalities.
Increase in deaths
Deaths per million has also gone up to 27.2, and as many as 265 patients were on oxygen and 20 on ventilators at the present, Dr. Talwar said, underlining the need for early testing and treatment for saving lives.
Testing in the State has reached 20,000 per day, including rapid antigen test, he said.
Separately, the Chief Minister informed that Punjab has achieved the top rank in operationalisation of Health and Wellness Centres as per the latest ranking of States released by the Union Government, showcasing the State’s robust health infrastructure.
He said Punjab was way ahead of neighbouring Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. While Haryana has slipped to 14th place, Himachal Pradesh was placed at 9. Delhi, with its much touted healthcare model, lags far behind at 29, Capt. Amarinder added.
