Punjab govt announces emergency measures to combat coronavirus menace
Amid the outbreak of deadly Coronavirus, the Punjab Government on Monday announced the emergency measures, including setting up of Flu Corners in all the government and private hospitals, to prepare for any exigency arising from the epidemic.
Meanwhile, the Flu Corners will be screening all the suspected cases of respiratory tract infections at the earliest and ensure that the movement of such cases was restricted in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
In a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the government took a stock of the situation triggered by the coronavirus, even as one confirmed case was reported each from Delhi and Telangana.
The Cabinet approved the Punjab Epidemic Diseases, COVID-19 Regulations, 2020 under the ambit of section 2, 3 & 4 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. 1897, to combat the epidemic of COVID-19 (Corona Virus Diseases 2019), an official spokesperson said after the meeting. Meanwhile, a notification to this effect will soon be issued, he added.
Likewise, no private laboratory has been authorized to take or test sample of coronavirus in Punjab, as per the notification approved by the Cabinet. Further, no person or organization will use any print or media in any form for giving information COVID-19 without the prior permission of Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab. Meanwhile, the spread of any rumors or unscientific information regarding coronavirus will be a punishable offence under the notification, said the spokesperson.
As per the Cabinet, all the hospitals in the state have been directed to take a suspected patient’s history of travel to any country or area from where spread of disease was being reported, and also history of coming in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus.
If there is any history of travel or history of contact with a case of COVID-19 in the last 14 days, the person has to be kept in hospital isolation. Any person having travelled to a country or area from where coronavirus is being reported has to self report to nearest Government Hospital or call at helpline number 104 to inform about the travel details.
Health Department will be having the rights to admit a person and isolate, if a person has visited an area where coronavirus is endemic and person is symptomatic in consultation with Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned. In case cases of
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A committee shall be constituted and notified by the Department of Health and Family Welfare under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner involving SSP, Civil Surgeon and other officers of the district to take decision for the measures for containment of coronavirus.
Meanwhile, any person or organization disobeying any regulation or order made under this act shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under the section 188 of Indian penal Code (45 of 1860).
-PTC News
