Chandigarh bans physical press conferences

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 15

As a preventive measure, UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today ordered a complete ban on physical press conferences by political parties or other organisations in view of the risk of infection due to large gatherings.

Badnore also appealed to all political parties not to hold any gatherings or functions in violation of the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The guidelines permit only events such as wedding and cremation as exceptional cases.

Badnore directed the SSP to lodge FIRs in case of illegal gatherings of any kind in the city.

Instead of a weekend curfew, the Administrator decided that there should be more vigorous screening, testing and stricter implementation of orders regarding social distancing and wearing of masks.

He stressed that a weekly curfew or a short-period lockdown was still under consideration of the Administration. During a review meeting on Covid-19, the Administrator ordered immediate testing of 58 persons detected through the Aarogya Setu app and also home-isolation and self-monitoring by 131 persons.

Badnore advised the PGI Director to collect samples of OPD and emergency patients visiting the institute and conduct random testing as suggested by some doctors of the PGI.

Dr BS Chavan, Director-Principal, GMCH, said a new hospital in Sector 48 had been commissioned on a pilot basis by shifting a few patients there. Dr G Dewan, Director (Health Services), stated that the second round of door-to-door screening was continuing with a focus on Mani Majra where the surveillance team had screened 8,516 houses with 32,106 people and found 10 suspected cases, which had been sent for testing.