Chandigarh, April 28, 2020: Government of Punjab has ordered screening of all persons and vehicles entering the state.
Following is the order issued in this regard:
"Regarding notification of entry points on major roads, closure of entry points on the link roads and screening of persons coming to the State of Punjab from other states.
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It has been noticed that there is movement of persons from other states to the State of Punjab and to other states through the State of Punjab. It has been decided at the level of Chief Secretary, Govt. of Punjab that to control the spread of COVID-19, the following should be ensured:
i) The Deputy Commissioners will notify the entry points into the state only on Major Roads, i.e., National Highway/State Highway/Major District Roads and seal all other entry points on the link roads with all the neighbouring states.
Entry into the State will only be allowed from the notified entry points.
ii) All the persons coming into the State through these notified entry points will be medically screened.
iii) The Civil Surgeons of the Districts will deploy Multipurpose Health Workers round the clock on these entry points. The Multipurpose Health Workers will screen each and every person corning into the State.
iv) Anybody who is found symptomatic will be taken to the nearest Sub Divisional Hospital where the person will be admitted and will be tested at the flu comer for COVID-19.
v) In case a person enters the State at odd hours will be admitted in the Sub Divisional Hospital in the area which will be maintained separately for only such persons and testing will be done at the earliest possible.
vi) In case a person is found positive, the person would be shifted to the notified isolation facility. The SMO incharge of the Sub Divisional Hospital will maintain a separate ward for such suspected cases and all the precautions with respect to COVID 19 protocol will be ensured. Segregation of these persons within the ward must also be ensured, so that contamination/spread can be contained.
vii) The DCs will make arrangements for collection of data and digitisation of this data with respect to such persons who are entering the State. The following data items will be captured :
• Name
• Father's Name
• Age
• Contact number
• Place from where the person is coming
• Permanent Address
• Complete address of the Destination of the person entering.
• Symptomatic/ Asymptomatic.
• Remarks (if any).
For the collection of data, the DCs will utilise staff from other departments except Health & Family Welfare Department. It is suggested that staff from School Education, Higher Education & Technical Education may be utilised.
All such persons who are entering the State should be informed that they would not move out of the place they are destined to go as per the information provided in para (viii). All those persons who are coming to their homes from other states should remain home quarantine for 14 days.
Those persons who are coming to work in harvesting and sowing or to work in those establishments which are allowed to remain operational during the close down, must stay in that place for at least 14 days.
All the Deputy Commissioners of the districts bordering with other states will share the data about the persons coming from other states to the Deputy Commissioner of the district of the destination of these persons within 24 hours. If they are to move from one destination within the State to another or from one village to another, screening of all such persons would be ensured.
xiii) The Deputy Commissioners and Civil Surgeons of all the districts will ensure surveillance and supervision of all such persons for at least 14 days on the links of surveillance as was done for the international travellers earlier.
xiv) In case of migrants who are coming to work in the State, separate area should be eannarked in the village. The Sarpanch/Panchayat Secretary/Patwari/Nurnberdar/SHO concerned should be made incharge to ensure that all such migratory labour should stay at a designated place and the protocol of social distancing and covering their mouth and nose with some cloth must be followed.
2. Those persons who are authorised to travel and are travelling from neighbouring states to other states through the State of Punjab should not be allowed to stay in between in the State of Punjab.
3. It is clarified that there would not be any embargo on goods coming to the State of Punjab, however proper screening of the drivers and vehicles must also be ensured."