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Longer night curfew in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala

Chandigarh: Expressing concern over the rising number of Covid cases in the state, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday ordered night curfew from 9pm to 5am in the “worst affected” cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala from Saturday, while directing all big cities to prepare integrated management plan for treatment of the virus.



A government spokesperson said the change in night curfew timings is limited to these three cities and status quo remains in other parts of the state.

Answering questions in his weekly #AskCaptain Live session on Facebook, which was advanced by a day to apprise the people about his visit to the hooch affected Tarn Taran district, Amarinder also appealed to the people to get themselves tested early and start treatment in a proper hospital, urging them not to rush to private tertiary care facility directly since good treatment is available in government hospitals.

He claimed there were adequate testing facilities available in the state and that four new testing labs would become operational on Monday. Delay in testing and treatment was the main cause for the increasing number of Covid deaths , he said, pointing out that with 26 persons succumbing on Thursday, the toll in the state had gone up to 517 (2.47%).

Expressing concern over the steady increase in Covid infections and positivity in the state, which reported 8.50% cases in samples tested in past one week, Amarinder said with the peak projected to come in Punjab by end of August or early September, one could not be certain how high the peak of daily cases may go.

He also directed an inquiry by the vice-chancellor into the death of a non-Covid patient, Dr Parvinder, at GGS Medical College, Faridkot, after doctors refused to treat him till the file work was completed and Covid test report came, even though he was suffering from low oxygen levels.

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