The Punjab government on Saturday announced compulsory home quarantine for 14 days for all those coming to the State, including on domestic flights, trains and buses.
“Screening of those entering the State would be done at all entry points, as well as railway stations and airports, and those found symptomatic would be sent into institutional quarantine, while the others would have to undergo mandatory 2-week home quarantine,” said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
The Chief Minister, during a Facebook live programme, said, “there is likelihood of infection coming here from Punjabis returning from other countries and States, but the State is taking no chances and has made elaborate arrangements for their testing and quarantine. Five flights have come today, and a total of 20,000 people are expected to come from other countries on 88 flights, while 60,000 are expected from other States.”
Capt. Amarinder thanked the labourers who had stayed back to contribute to the State’s economic strength. Of those migrants who had applied for online registration, nearly half had started working in the industry, he said. He added that of the total 2.56 lakh industrial units in the State, 1.5 lakh have resumed operations.
He said the State government is reaching out to embassies of various nations looking to shift their manufacturing business out of China. “The State is in talks with various embassies and offering them support in terms of land, infrastructure and other facilities. With an eye on the post-COVID revival of the State’s economy, the government has written to embassies of various countries in this regard and is engaged in talks with Japan, Korean and Taiwanese embassies,” he said.
16 new cases
Punjab recorded 16 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday, taking the tally to 2,045, according to a statement. The Health department said the major chunk of new cases, four and three, were reported from Amritsar and Patiala districts. The active cases are 136 and 1,870 patients have so far recovered, it added.
In Chandigarh, six fresh cases surfaced, taking the tally to 225. A statement from Chandigarh office of Unique Identification Authority of India said its operations have been resumed at its Aadhaar Seva Kendra.
