Chandigarh administration says lockdown will be imposed if COVID-19 cases rise

Chandigarh administration on Monday said that lockdown will be imposed if COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the city.

"A lockdown cripples the economy as it impacts livelihoods of people. Decisions on lockdown are taken in war rooms only after conducting discussions with experts. We are keeping an eye on neighbouring states too. If cases continue to rise then the option of lockdown cannot be ruled out," Manoj Parida, Adviser to Chandigarh Administrator, told .

In a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the city, the administration in the Union Territory has already enforced a night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am from April 7.

Speaking about the current situation of COVID-19 in Chandigarh, he said: "At a point, we had reduced daily cases to 20, which has now gone up to 350-400 cases. Primarily, this is due to the number of tests we are conducting. So far, we have conducted 3 lakh tests against a population of 12 lakh."

He further mentioned that night curfew and restrictions of gatherings in Chandigarh can help in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in some aspects.

"Night curfew along with restrictions on public functions and gatherings does help in some aspects. Borders cannot be sealed as people come to the city from Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. People have to follow COVID-19 protocols and get vaccinated," he said.

Chandigarh reported 424 COVID-19 cases on Monday taking the tally to 31,167.

( With inputs from ANI )