Chandigarh declared containment zone

Chandigarh, April 18

Three days after the Central Government tagged Chandigarh as a Covid hotspot, the Administration today declared the entire UT a containment zone.

Now, there will be active search for Covid cases and testing of all such cases will be done as per the sample guidelines. The containment operation will be over in 28 days from the date the last case in the city tests negative. The city has so far reported 23 cases and ten of them have recovered.

What it means

• Outsiders entering the city to be quarantined for 14 days
• Mandatory quarantine not applicable to residents of the neighbouring areas coming to the UT for government duty or to provide essential service
• There will be active search for Covid cases in the city
• The containment operation will be over in 28 days from the date the last case in the city

UT Adviser Manoj Parida said, “Since in Chandigarh, the Covid outbreak is scattered and not confined to a specific pocket, area, village or cluster, the entire district has been declared containment zone.” “As per the Government of India’s directions, outsiders entering the city will be quarantined for 14 days either in home or in the government facilities to prevent the spread of infection from outside,” he said, adding that these guidelines would not apply to residents of the neighbouring areas coming to the UT for government duty or to provide essential service. “We will increase Covid testing in the city. The guidelines of the Central Government will be implemented strictly,” he added. During the daily meeting, UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today directed that the flour mills should be kept open, so that the beneficiaries receiving the wheat under the Central scheme could get it milled. Nearly 13,500 families were distributed wheat and pulses under the scheme so far.

The Administrator expressed satisfaction that all delivery boys of online companies, milk vendors and traders were medically examined through special camps.

It was also decided to keep the wholesale mandi in Sector 26 closed on Monday for sanitisation and cleaning. There will be no distribution of vegetables and fruits by the Administration’s buses on Monday. The residents can avail the facility of essential shops opened in the markets from 11am to 3 pm and get home delivery from 9 am to 9 pm. — TNS

No curfew relaxations in Mohali from April 20

Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan on Saturday said they would not relax the curfew restrictions from April 20 since the district had the highest number of Covid cases in the state. He said the district had not reached the stage of no new cases in 14 days. So, the curfew would continue as a precautionary measure to check the spread of Covid.z