Trace all international passengers: Punjab CM

Giving the highest importance to tracing all international passengers who arrived after March 10 to prevent the coronavirus spread, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday directed the work should continue unbated.

He directed the Health Department and the police to ensure further monitoring of those already traced and placed under home quarantine.

Chief Minister's fresh directive assumes significant as over 94,000 NRIs have returned to the state and 30,000 of them placed in isolation.

While continuing with its earlier curfew orders, he said the government would take all possible steps to avoid any undue inconvenience to the providers of essential services and the public.

He directed the officials to ensure door-to-door delivery of essential services is maintained and it might be further streamlined with the assistance of e-commerce companies.

Volunteers may also be engaged, if necessary, for ensuring prompt door-to-door delivery of essential services and commodities, said the Chief Minister.

The providers of essential services whether individuals or institutions should be allowed to operate for fixed duration but on specific permissions and after observing required health safeguards, he added.

With the civil administration and police working in close coordinate, Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta issued instructions to his officers to ensure efficient delivery mechanisms and processes in the light of the curfew with no relaxations already in place in the state, and the subsequent national lockdown announcement by the Prime Minister. IANS