Punjab borders sealed; CM Capt Amarinder Singh lists measures to combat COVID-19

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh ordered the sealing of all state borders on Monday in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus. This comes after the toll of COVID-19 affected people reached in the state reached 38 with one death being reported. CM Singh also promised a special insurance for Punjab Police personnel and sanitation workers amid the pandemic and has also urged the Finance Minister to come up with a contingency plan to ensure uninterrupted medical and essentials supply pipeline. 

Life insurance cover for police personnel

Noting that police personnel were high-risk frontline workers in the battle against COVID-19, the Punjab CM has announced a life insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person for them, along with special quarantine facility at ISTC Kapurthala and 2 other places in Bathinda and Patiala Zone, for police personnel who contract the illness. The Chief Minister also ordered distribution of masks and sanitisers to policemen on duty and directed the DGP to deploy the personnel on rotation. He also ordered mobilisation home guard and civil defence volunteers, to be kept in reserve.

READ | One More Tests Positive For Coronavirus In Punjab, Total Count 39

In another significant decision, Captain Amarinder Singh allowed the Local Bodies Department to extend the services of the 2000-odd sanitation workers, due to retire on March 31, by three months in order to deal with the prevailing situation. Moreover, he informed that 10 lakh dry food packets will be distributed to the migrants and underprivileged by the end of this week. He also added that mobile testing vans will boost the testing in the state and public volunteers will be trained to man isolation beds.

READ | Punjab Building Up Stocks Of PPE, Life-saving Equipments Amid COVID-19 Crisis: Official 

Coronavirus crisis in Punjab 

Of the 39 cases, 19 have been reported from Nawanshahr, seven from Mohali, six from Hoshiarpur, five from Jalandhar and one each from Amritsar and Ludhiana. Two patients have died and one has been discharged from the hospital after his second test results came negative. According to the media bulletin, 1,051 samples have been tested so far and out of which, the reports of 881 samples came negative and the result of 131 samples is still awaited.

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