Punjab extends COVID curbs till May 31, mulls procurement of Sputnik V for 18-44 age group

In the wake of the continued high positivity rate of COVID-19 in Punjab, the state government has extended the restrictions in the state til the end of this month. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday ordered an extension of all the existing restrictions till May 31, with directions for strict enforcement of all the curbs.

The Chief Minister said the Deputy Commissioners will continue to determine the opening of shops in a staggered manner and enforce other restrictions to check the spread of COVID-19, especially in rural areas. They can also make suitable amendments based on the local condition as long as their amendments do not dilute the state’s overall restrictions, said the Chief Minister.

The state government has launched a special drive for villages to deal with COVID-19 cases in the state. The Corona Mukt Pindu Abhiyaan launched in rural areas is a campaign to raise awareness about COVID appropriate behaviour and to conduct sampling and vaccination drives in the rural areas which have witnessed an alarming surge lately. The administration will also provide additional rapid testing kits for rural areas for the testing campaign.

The CM has directed the state authorities to deploy the entire staff to spread awareness among the villagers on the dangers of COVID-19. Community Health Officers, panchayats, school teachers, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, village police officers, youth volunteers etc. must be mobilised on a large scale to steer the programme, whereas the Health & Wellness Clinics should act as the centre to organise the special drives.

Captain Amarinder said the casual attitude of people towards symptoms of cold and cough and their hesitancy to report the symptoms timely is the reason for the COVID surge. The Chief Minister called for early identification of the infected people to ensure their early treatment.

Punjab government is also said to be exploring possibilities of procuring Sputnik V vaccine for 18-44 age group as the state along with several other states has been facing a shortage of vaccines for the younger population. Meanwhile, aiding the state's fight against the deadly Coronavirus, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has confirmed the supply of tocilizumab will be reaching the state on Monday.