<p>Rattled by the Covid-19 surge, the Punjab government on Wednesday ordered a total ban on political gatherings till April 30 with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directing officials to book violators, including political leaders, under relevant laws.</p>.<p>The chief minister also announced an extension of the night curfew from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, imposed in 12 districts from April 1, to the entire state and further reduced the number of attendees at funerals/cremations/weddings to 50 people indoors and 100 for outdoors.</p>.<p>Wearing of masks has been made mandatory for all government employees while in office, an official statement said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/central-teams-rushed-to-maharashtra-chhattisgarh-punjab-amid-covid-19-surge-970726.html" target="_blank">Central teams rushed to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab amid Covid-19 surge</a></strong></p>.<p>In some respite for shop owners in malls, the chief minister allowed entry of 10 people per shop at any given time, as against the earlier order of not allowing more than 100 people in a mall at one time.</p>.<p>Singh also issued orders to step up the vaccination drive by administering two lakh doses every day. He also directed the officials to increase Covid-19 testing to 50,000 samples per day, besides vigorously pursuing contact tracing to 30 people per positive patient.</p>.<p>At a weekly review meeting, Singh said he had no option but to go in for stricter measures to further control the ongoing surge.</p>.<p>The chief minister said he had been forced to order a ban on political gatherings, as his pleas to all political parties had been ignored.</p>.<p>Singh slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal for attending political rallies in the state without following safety protocols. “How do you expect people to be serious about the spread of the disease if senior political leaders behave like this?” he asked, noting that the Congress had cancelled all its public gatherings this month.</p>.<p>He ordered the Police and the district administrations to register cases against the political leaders, organisers and participants of political gatherings under the Disaster Management Act and Epidemics Act. Singh said persons providing space for such events would be booked and their venues sealed for three months.</p>.<p>He said that no social, cultural or sports gatherings and related functions will be allowed till April 30.</p>.<p>The chief minister also directed Punjab DGP, Dinkar Gupta, to ensure strict implementation of the night curfew.</p>
<p>Rattled by the Covid-19 surge, the Punjab government on Wednesday ordered a total ban on political gatherings till April 30 with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directing officials to book violators, including political leaders, under relevant laws.</p>.<p>The chief minister also announced an extension of the night curfew from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, imposed in 12 districts from April 1, to the entire state and further reduced the number of attendees at funerals/cremations/weddings to 50 people indoors and 100 for outdoors.</p>.<p>Wearing of masks has been made mandatory for all government employees while in office, an official statement said.</p>.<p><strong>Also read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/central-teams-rushed-to-maharashtra-chhattisgarh-punjab-amid-covid-19-surge-970726.html" target="_blank">Central teams rushed to Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab amid Covid-19 surge</a></strong></p>.<p>In some respite for shop owners in malls, the chief minister allowed entry of 10 people per shop at any given time, as against the earlier order of not allowing more than 100 people in a mall at one time.</p>.<p>Singh also issued orders to step up the vaccination drive by administering two lakh doses every day. He also directed the officials to increase Covid-19 testing to 50,000 samples per day, besides vigorously pursuing contact tracing to 30 people per positive patient.</p>.<p>At a weekly review meeting, Singh said he had no option but to go in for stricter measures to further control the ongoing surge.</p>.<p>The chief minister said he had been forced to order a ban on political gatherings, as his pleas to all political parties had been ignored.</p>.<p>Singh slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Badal for attending political rallies in the state without following safety protocols. “How do you expect people to be serious about the spread of the disease if senior political leaders behave like this?” he asked, noting that the Congress had cancelled all its public gatherings this month.</p>.<p>He ordered the Police and the district administrations to register cases against the political leaders, organisers and participants of political gatherings under the Disaster Management Act and Epidemics Act. Singh said persons providing space for such events would be booked and their venues sealed for three months.</p>.<p>He said that no social, cultural or sports gatherings and related functions will be allowed till April 30.</p>.<p>The chief minister also directed Punjab DGP, Dinkar Gupta, to ensure strict implementation of the night curfew.</p>
