More on Covid-19

CHANDIGARH: Even as he hinted at certain curfew relaxations, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Tuesday announced a compulsory 21-day quarantine for all those returning to the state to check spread of Covid-19.Pilgrims returning from Nanded, students and labourers coming from Rajasthan, would be stopped at the border and sent to the government quarantine centres to ensure that they didn't mix with others for 21 days, said the Chief Minister. Radha Soami Satsang centres would also be used to quarantine these people, whose return was being facilitated by his government for the past three days, he said.He also indicated that the government could go for certain relaxations, while taking all precautions, based on the report of an expert committee, set up to formulate Punjab's Covid-19 curfew exit strategy.Singh was discussing the coronavirus crisis, lockdown as well as the rabi procurement with Congress legislators through video link.Most legislators were for continuance of strictness for another couple of weeks, limited relaxation in certain areas, and borders to remain sealed not just around the state but also around districts and villages.Any Covid-19 patients should be hospitalised or treated within their own district, to limit outside contact and exposure, they said advising extreme caution in lifting curbs.The Chief Minister urged the legislators to set an example by taking all precautions while executing their public responsibilities.State Congress chief Sunil Jakhar also attended the meeting along with representatives from various Assembly constituencies.On a request from UP to send back migrant labourers after quarantining them in Punjab, the Chief Minister said he would convey to his counterpart that this had to be done by his government and not by Punjab.Singh said his government would make all efforts to retain and care the migrant labourers, whose return was now being facilitated by various states, such as UP."We need to look after them so that they don't leave Punjab, where they are needed to help out in the procurement operations as well as the industries that we are gradually opening up," he said.Pointing to rising cases even after 35 days of lockdown, he said the Centre had indicated, based on various inputs and studies, that the trend would continue till July.He said the lockdown was necessary to delay the spread as far as possible to enable the nation to prepare better if the situation worsens, and also in the hope of a vaccine.Punjab has lost 19 lives and has 330 cases. After the NRIs and the Tabligi Jamaat, the latest threat of the coronavirus spread in Punjab was on account of the pilgrims returning from Gurdwara Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.Another large group of pilgrims is expected to return to Punjab on Wednesday. The state government planned to put all of them in quarantine at the Radha Soami centres, he said.In response to concerns expressed during the meeting, he said there would be no shortage of bales to handle the bumper wheat crop.He also reiterated that there would be no criminal case against owners of industries in case of any incidence of coronavirus.