Punjab CM Captain Amarinder updates on state's post-April 14 Covid lockdown scenario

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said the state government has not yet taken a call on extending the curfew beyond April 14 and any decision on it will be taken after the cabinet meeting on Friday.

"No decision has yet been taken on extending the curfew in the state beyond April 14," the CM said.

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"Decision on lockdown after cabinet meeting"

A decision in this regard will be taken after the cabinet meeting scheduled for April 10, an official release quoting the chief minister said. The chief minister said though the coronavirus pandemic was currently in control in Punjab, nothing could be predicted at the moment, given the ever-changing dynamics of the situation. The next few days will be critical to any decision on the way forward, he added. He reiterated that saving lives was his government's priority and whatever decision is taken will be centered around that.

"We are keeping a close watch on the situation, not just in Punjab but across the country. We are also taking into account the way the pandemic is behaving in other countries so that we can imbue their learnings and act accordingly," the chief minister said."

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The state has so far recorded 106 coronavirus cases with eight deaths. Punjab was the first state in the country which had imposed a curfew on March 23 to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Earlier in the day, the chief minister held a video conference with industrialists. After the meeting, he tweeted, "Interacted over video conferencing with experts of Punjab's industry regarding measures to be taken to assist industry during the #Covid19 crisis."

"We will be discussing it in the Cabinet meeting on April 10th & then take a considered decision about extension of lockdown & curfew," he added.

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The CM also rejected some media reports on the extension of curfew, dubbing them as "purely speculative and unfounded." The chief minister clarified that the speculation on the curfew extension was triggered by an advisory to employees from the General Administration Department on a series of matters relating to the current situation. The said advisory had subsequently been withdrawn by the chief secretary on his directives, Singh said in a statement.

The state government is continuously assessing and reviewing the evolving situation and any decision will be taken in the context of the conditions prevailing around mid-April, keeping in mind the overall interest of the state and its people, said the CM. He said all factors will be taken into account before coming to a final decision on extending or lifting the curfew, either fully or partially. Amarinder Singh said the early clampdown in India had helped and while the situation was somewhat better than the more advanced nations, one could not get complacent. 

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