Punjab to follow curfew till May 3: CM

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the state would follow complete curfew till May 3, in line with the extension in the national lockdown.

The Punjab government had earlier announced extension of curfew restrictions till May 1 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the lockdown would be extended till May 3, saying it was very necessary to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

During a video conference, the chief minister assured all the political parties in the state of aggressive measures, including large-scale testing, in continuing war against the pandemic.

Even as he appreciated the support extended by them to his government, Singh urged all political parties in the state to unitedly fight against coronavirus, rising above political considerations, said a government release here.

He said the state government would actively consider all their suggestions to ensure an effective and holistic response to the current crisis.

The chief minister said the entire country, and in fact the world, was going through bad times, with Punjab being no exception.

The lockdown helped curb the spread of COVID-19, and the state's count of cases was currently among the lowest in the country, he said.

Pointing out that medical experts were suggesting that five weeks of lockdown could really improve the situation, he promised all-out efforts to succeed in the battle against the pandemic.

In response to various suggestions made during the meeting, the chief minister said he had taken note of all concerns, especially those relating to the workers, and would take steps to address the same.

Acceding to his government's request, the Centre had allowed commencement of operations in industries that could accommodate migrant labourers. Four had already started operating in Bathinda, with Ludhiana also gearing up to begin working, he said.

The task force set up to formulate the exit strategy for the state would make its recommendations within 10 days on the way forward, Singh said.

The chief minister told the meeting that the state government was continuously scaling up testing to check the spread of the pandemic, with all three medical colleges in the state now equipped to conduct tests with a capacity of 1,200 a day.

This was in addition to the tests being conducted by PGIMER Chandigarh, while the Ludhiana DMC and CMC hospitals were awaiting approval to commence testing.

Singh also assured the leaders that random testing, which began on Tuesday in two districts, would be expanded to all districts eventually, and would also be conducted in villages. He also assured them of all measures to ensure protection of the frontline workers, saying all were being given PPE kits.

On a suggestion from SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, the Singh directed the Health Department to consider getting approval for testing at SGPC-run hospitals in order to scale up the tests.

He further said that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking release of the MPLAD funds to enable MPs to use it for the fight against COVID in their constituencies, and also sought Rs 729 crore for upgradation of hospitals on priority.

There was consensus among all parties on the need to take strict action against, even takeover of, private hospitals not supporting the government in these critical times, said the release.

Aam AadmiParty (AAP) state president and MP Bhagwant Mann wanted deferment of all payment/repayment of loans of private banks and no wage cutting by companies. He suggested more publicity for the COVA app which, he said, was extremely useful in the fight against the coronavirus.

Ashwani Sharma, BJP's Punjab unit chief, was in favour of revoking the cancellation of blue cards to streamline distribution of food supplies by the government.

He suggested waiver of all utility bills, with waiver or reduction in school fee, as the middle class was also suffering in the current crisis. Dairy and poultry farmers also needed more support, he added.