Punjab CM extends coronavirus restrictions; details inside

Coronavirus situation in Punjab: As coronavirus cases and deaths continue to escalate in Punjab, with the UK strain emerging the most prevalent in the state, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday ordered extension of curbs till April 10. Even as he directed the Health Department to increase the number of vaccination sites to target the priority categories on urgent basis. Also Read | Here're the restrictions that have been extended till April 10 in Punjab  Reviewing the coronavirus situation in Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh said all restrictions that were in place till March 31 will now remain in force till April 10, after which they would be again reviewed. The Chief Minister also ordered the launch of a vaccination drive in the prisons, in the wake of 40 women in Patiala’s Nabha Open Jail testing positive for Coronavirus. Also Read | Has Punjab govt enforced curfew in the state from 7:00 pm onwards? [FACT CHECK] Expressing grave concern over the situation, Captain Amarinder asked Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan to issue the necessary directions for carrying out testing and vaccination in busy market areas along with other crowded places. Notably, the latest data shows the UK strain of the virus to be the most prevalent in the Punjab. While 326 of the 401 Covid positive samples sent initially to NCDC for genome sequencing were found positive for the UK variant, subsequently of the 95 samples sent to IGIB for genome sequencing, 85 samples were found to be positive for the same The Chief Minister further asked all DCs and Civil Surgeons to identify places where mobile Covid Vaccination Centres can be created, such as Police Lines, Colleges & Universities, bigger Industrial Units, Bus Stands, and Railway Stations, PRTC/ Punjab Roadways bus depots, market places, etc. to ramp up vaccination. Click here to follow PTC News on Twitter. -PTC News