In view of the surge in Covid cases, the Punjab government on Tuesday clamped night curfew and shut educational institutes till January 15.

No restrictions have been announced regarding political meetings or rallies in the poll bound state.

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The fresh curbs were announced after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi chaired a review meeting to take stock of the Covid situation in the state.

As per the order issued by the state home affairs and justice department, the decision has been taken in order to contain the spread of the Covid-19. It said cinema halls will be allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity.

Movement of individuals for all non-essential activities will remain prohibited between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. within municipal limits of all cities and towns of Punjab.

All bars, cinemas halls, multiplexes, malls, restaurants, spas, museums, zoos, etc, shall be allowed to operate at 50 per cent of their capacity subject to all staff present being fully vaccinated.

All sports complexes, stadia, swimming pools, gyms shall remain closed (except being used for training of sportspersons for participation in national/international sports events as well as for organising national/international sports events). No spectators or visitors are to be allowed.

AC buses will run at 50 per cent of capacity. Only fully vaccinated staff will be allowed to attend the government as well as private offices, working spaces, factories, industries, etc.

All educational institutions including schools, colleges, universities, coaching institutions, etc, shall remain closed. However, these institutions are expected to maintain the academic schedule through online teaching. However, medical and nursing colleges may continue to function normally.

Covid cases in Punjab have been rapidly rising. The state, which clocked 51 cases on December 28, reported 419 cases yesterday. The number of samples tested dropped during this time, leading to a spike in positivity. The positivity rate, an indicator of the spread of infection in the community, rose from 0.46 per cent on December 28 to 4.47 per cent yesterday.