Coronavirus: Punjab imposes night curfew from December 1, doubles penalty for flouting protocols
Restrictions have also been imposed on timings of hotels, restaurants and marriage venues.
The Punjab government on Wednesday imposed a night curfew in the state, starting December 1 in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh confirmed on Twitter. The curfew will remain in force from 10 pm to 5 am. The fine for not wearing masks and flouting physical distancing norms has also been doubled from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000.
The curbs, which will be reviewed on December 15, also restrict timings for all hotels, restaurants and marriage venues till 9.30 pm, according to PTI.
Considering the rise in #Covid19 cases, we have decided to impose night curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM starting 1st December. We are also doubling the fines for not wearing masks & not observing social distancing. Urge my fellow Punjabis to follow all precautions against the pandemic.
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 25, 2020
On Tuesday, 614 more people tested positive while 22 deaths were recorded in Punjab, according to the Hindustan Times. The tally of total cases in the state stood at 1,47,665, while 4,653 deaths have so far been reported.
Several states in India are witnessing a worrying surge in cases, prompting the governments to reimpose restrictions. The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for travelers from Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa to carry a report showing that they are not infected with the coronavirus.
The Delhi government began reinstating coronavirus-related restrictions last week, starting with revising the limit on wedding guests from 200 to 50. The Arvind Kejriwal-led government also increased the fine for not wearing masks in the Capital to Rs 2,000 from Rs 500 to tackle the pandemic.
Gujarat also had to reimpose a night curfew in Ahmedabad to control the infection. Similar curbs were also enforced in Rajkot, Surat and Vadodara.
India’s coronavirus count rose to 92,22,216 on Wednesday morning as it reported 44,376 new cases in 24 hours. The country’s toll rose by 481 to 1,34,699. India’s active cases stood at 4,44,746, while the recoveries reached 86,42,771.
Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 5.96 crore people and killed, 14,07,873, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 3.82 crore people have recovered from the infection.
