Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced new curfew guidelines to ease problems amid Covid-19 lockdown and warned of strict against violators and people who are under home quarantine.
"Chief Minister @capt_amarinder Singh announces new curfew guidelines to ease people's problems amid #Covid_19 #Lockdown. Warns of strict action U/Section 188 IPC against those violating curfew & #HomeQuarantine. Also shared latest #CurfewGuidelines and district #HelpLineNos," Chief Minister's Office Punjab tweeted.
According to the guidelines, door to door delivery of essential commodities that is groceries, milk, fruits and vegetables may be ensured through pre-identified hawkers/distributors wherever possible during the period of curfew.
"Grocery shops, milk vendors, fruits and vegetable shops and chemists should be permitted to open on rotation in a manner that at any point of time at least one shop each is open in a given area. Such shops should also be allowed to provide door-to-door delivery on call. The shops permitted to open should be kept under supervision of 1-2 policemen to check over-crowding and maintain spatial distancing," it said.
The Cheif Minister directed District Mandi Officers/Market Committee Secretaries to ensure a system of home delivery of vegetables and groceries respectively.
"Only in case of emergency, people may be permitted to go on-foot for 3-4 things namely groceries, milk, fruits and vegetables and medicines/chemists and, to doctors and nursing homes. Vehicular movement without a pass not to be allowed. In an emergency, a citizen/resident should be able to call police or civil control rooms to avail necessary essential services," the guidelines said.
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Singh has also set up Punjab CM COVID Relief Fund, as a separate entity, for donations to fight the crisis in the state.
In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the entire country effective from midnight to deal with the spread of coronavirus, saying that "social distancing" is the only option to deal with the disease, which spreads rapidly.
According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has reported about 536 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. Eleven people have died so far due to the deadly virus.