Chandigarh, May 5:
Numbers:
· Around 630 persons arrested and over 6500challaned for flouting COVID-19 norms during last 3 days across Punjab.
· Punjab Police registers 560 FIRs from May 2 toMay 4 against violators, including owners of prominent Hotels, MarriagePalaces, Shops, Restaurants etc.
· 6.9 lakh people taken for COVID-19 test, 99757challaned for not wearing mask during last 45 days in a effort to contain theCovid pandemic.
With the Punjab Government issuing fresh guidelines imposingstricter curbs amid surge in COVID-19 cases, the Punjab Police is leaving nostone unturned to enforce the various newly announced restrictions to protectand save the people of Punjab from this deadly virus.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta, whilesharing details, said that the joint teams of Punjab Police have issued atleast 6531 challans to face mask violators and arrested as many as 629 personsfor violating the COVID-19 norms across the state in last three days.
The Home department on Sunday, ordered that all thenon-essential shops must remain closed in the state, while, all Four-WheelerPassenger vehicles should not seat more than 2 passengers and no Pillion ridersare allowed on scooters and motorcycles except those belonging to the samefamily and living in the same house. Likewise, no gathering of more than 10persons is allowed, including for weddings/cremations/funerals.
The DGP, while disclosing data from May 2 to May 4, 2021,said that the Punjab Police have registered around 560 First InformationReports (FIRs) against those found flouting the guidelines, including owners ofprominent Hotels, Marriage Palaces, Restaurants, Shops etc.
The DGP said that, besides issuing fines, the Police havetaken over 66000 Face Mask violators to undergo RT-PCR testing under the driveto enforce COVID-19 appropriate behaviour during the same span. Since thespecial drive was started from March 19, 2021, the Punjab Police have persuadedover 6.9 lakh people to undergo COVID-19 testing besides penalising over I lakhpeople across the state for not wearing face masks, he added.
Divulging details regarding the action against prominentestablishments, Spokesperson of Police Department said that the Tarn TaranPolice have booked owners of restaurant Arabian Kebab and Master Burger fordefying night curfew timings besides registering case against owner of petrolpump owner as most of employees found without mask and also they were notadhering to the social distancing.
Similarly, Barnala Police have lodged an FIR against theowner of Royal Green Resorts for violating COVID-19 norms, while the HoshiarpurPolice have booked three persons found drinking at the office of a PropertyDealer during the night curfew hours. Recently, the Jalandhar CommissioneratePolice had also booked owners of Ramada Hotel and Gulshan Palace for organisinga Party having more than 20 guests while owners of Taj Restaurant and YummyFast Food were booked for flouting night curfew timings.
The DGP once again exhorted the public to comply with thelaid down restrictions, which are similar to those laid down in over 15 otherStates of the country. Otherwise, strict legal action including arrests andimpounding of vehicles would be taken against the violators, he said.
Meanwhile, all shops selling essential items includingChemist shops and shops dealing with supply of essential goods, milk, bread,vegetables, fruits, dairy and poultry products like eggs, meat, mobile repair,kirana and grocery shops, shops selling fertilisers, seeds insecticides,pesticides, agriculture equipments, and Liquor vends etc. are allowed to open,subject to adherence of Covid protocols.
DGP Punjab Dinkar Gupta once again exhorted the public to‘Stay at Home’ and Work from Home’ for their own safety and that of the others.At the same time, warns of strict action against the violators