Punjab issues new guidelines for Unlock 1.0 as coronavirus cases surge — travellers from Delhi need to carry testing certificates

• On June 12, Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh ordered stricter norms for weekends and public holidays after a surge in coronavirus cases.
  
• According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are a total of 2,887 positive cases in Punjab as of June 12.
  
• According to the state guidelines, only medical staff and other people associated with essential services will be allowed to move out of their homes. The rest will be required to download the e-pass for movement.
  
• The government has mandated testing certification for those who are coming from Delhi.

Punjab was the first state in India to announce curfew to contain the spread of coronavirus. Since then, the state has been implementing social distancing, stricter norms to resume operations and increasing the testing capacity to help its people.

Despite that, there has been a sudden surge in the number of positive cases in the state of late. On June 12, Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh ordered stricter norms for weekends and public holidays.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, there are a total of 2,887 positive cases in Punjab as of June 12. This is after 86 people tested positive for the disease on Thursday, June 11.

The state has restricted movement to those with e-passes. The only people who won’t need e-passes to move out of their homes are medical staff and other people associated with essential services as per state guidelines.

Meanwhile, the government has also mandated testing certification for those who are coming from Delhi. This is primarily because approximately 800 vehicles cross the state border from the national capital every day, TOI reported.

“The decision to tighten the curbs on weekends and holidays has been taken amid apprehensions of COVID-19 reaching the community spread stage in Punjab and projections indicating that the peak in the state was still two months away,” said PTI.

However, the industries will be operational, Singh announced.

On the other hand, he has allowed religious places including gurudwaras in the state to not just open but also restart the distribution of prasad and langar among people.

“It has now been decided to allow community kitchens (langar) and serving of prasad at religious places, subject to the condition that physical distancing norms and all COVID hygiene precautions while preparing and distributing food shall be strictly followed," Mint reported citing the official announcement said.

According to the state Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, over 1 lakh samples have been tested so far and the state is now testing 3,259 per million. That is equivalent to 4,500 tests per day and higher than the country's average at 3,046.

The state recorded the highest COVID-19 recovery rate in the country — at 91%. In addition, the critical mortality rate in the state is also the lowest at 1.3%.

See also:
Punjab coronavirus cases spike to 2,887 — 86 new cases, 3 deaths reported on June 11

India surpasses UK COVID-19 tally to become fourth worst-hit country in the world