Punjab imposes night curfew starting December 1, doubles fine for flouting COVID-19 guidelines

• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has imposed a night curfew in all towns and cities from 10 pm to 5 am, starting December 1.
• The fine for not wearing masks and not following social distancing norms has been hiked from ₹500 to ₹1,000.
• The order said all hotels, restaurants and wedding venues would be closed as soon as 9.30 pm and the authorities will review the curbs again on December 15.

As the coronavirus cases in Punjab continue to surge, the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has imposed night curfew in all towns and cities from 10 pm to 5 am, starting December 1.

Singh also warned people in Punjab against letting their guard down under the given circumstances. The government has also doubled the fine for people flouting COVID-19 rules effective from December 1. The fine for not wearing masks and not following social distancing norms has been hiked from ₹500 to ₹1,000.


The order said all hotels, restaurants and wedding venues would be closed as soon as 9.30 pm. The authorities will review curbs again on December 15.

The announcement came hours after the CM chaired a high-level COVID review meeting with the state cabinet. CM Singh has also asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to encourage private hospitals to provide more beds for the coronavirus patients in the state.

Singh stressed on the need to utilise the 25,500 RT-PCR daily testing capacity fully and directed targeted and regular testing of potential super spreaders, including government officials. The 24x7 testing facility should be made available at district hospitals and other convenient locations for easy public access, he said.

Punjab has been among the worst-affected states by coronavirus in India.The state’s COVID-19 tally rose to 1.47 lakh on Tuesday, with 22 new fatalities pushing the death toll to 4,653.

Punjab is the sixth state in India to impose a night curfew after Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

(with inputs from agencies)

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