Punjab Imposes Statewide Night Curfew, Closure Of Schools & Colleges

With the spike in Covid-19 cases, Punjab on Tuesday imposed statewide night curfew daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and ordered closure of all educational institutions till January 15.

The educational institutions include the schools, colleges, universities and the coaching institutions. However, these institutions are expected to maintain the academic schedule through online teaching.

However, medical and nursing colleges may continue to function normally.

Only fully vaccinated staff will be allowed to attend the government as well as private offices, working spaces, factories and industries. No service will be provided in government or private offices to persons not wearing proper masks, said a notification by Principal Secretary (Home) Anurag Verma.

All bars, cinemas halls, multiplexes, malls, restaurants, spas, museums, zoos, etc., will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity subject to all staff present being fully vaccinated.

The air-conditioned buses will run with 50 per cent capacity, it added.

Meanwhile, Nearly 100 students and resident doctors of the Government Medical College in Patiala in Punjab have tested positive for Covid-19, officials said on Tuesday.

The district administration has asked all students staying at the hostel to vacate their rooms immediately.

A retirement party and New Year Eve's party held on the college campus without following appropriate Covid-19 behaviour is blamed for alarming spike in the cases.

This is the second education institution in the state that saw a spike in coronavirus cases. Earlier, 93 students of the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Patiala tested positive for Covid-19.

On the Other hand, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tested positive for Covid-19 on today morning.