CHANDIGARH: Punjab government has decided to continue restrictions in urban areas including weekend lockdowns in 167 municipal towns and night curfews in all cities till September 30.
Amid spiralling cases, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also announced that section 144 of the CrPC will continue to remain in effect, banning all social, political, religious gatherings, protests and demonstrations throughout the state.
Gatherings related to marriages, funerals shall be restricted to 30 and 20 people respectively.
The announcement comes after consultation with the Centre after it released its 'Unlock 4.0' guidelines which mentioned that no state can impose lockdowns outside containment zones and seal their borders without permission.
Further, there will be complete curfew on weekends in the municipal states, while movement of individuals for all non-essential activities shall remain prohibited between 7 pm to 5 am within municipal limits of all the cities of Punjab throughout the week.
Movement of students and others with regard to all kinds of examinations, admission or entrance tests conducted by Universities, Boards, Public Service Commissions and other institutions has been excluded from the restrictions.
Religious places have also been allowed to stay open on all days upto 6.30 pm as have been restaurants (including those in malls) and liquor stores.
The restrictions on day time do not apply to hotels. Essential activities and services, movement of persons and goods on National and State Highways, inter-state and intra state movement of persons and unloading of cargo and travel of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and aeroplanes will be permitted during the restrictive conditions.
These essential services include those related to health, agricultural and related activities, dairying and fishery activities, banks, ATMs, stock markets, insurance companies, online teaching, public utilities, public transport, industry in multiple-shifts, construction industry, offices both private and government.
Giving details of the weekend and night restrictions, an official said shops, malls, except those dealing with essential commodities, will be allowed to remain open till 6.30 p.m. on weekdays but will be closed in all cities on Saturday and Sunday.
Shops dealing in essentials will be open even on the weekend, till 6.30 p.m.
Existing restriction on passengers in vehicles will also continue to remain in force, with only three persons including driver to be allowed in a four-wheeler vehicle, and all buses, other public transport vehicles can allow seating for only 50 per cent capacity.
Government and private offices can operate with 50 per cent staff strength till the end of the month.
The Heads of Offices would restrict public visitors in Government offices and encourage use of online Punjab grievance redressal system (PGRS) and other digital tools so as to minimise person to person contact in offices.