DW BUREAU / PATIALA: Expressing grave concern over resurgence in COVID cases in the State, President of the Punjab Medical Council Dr AS Sekhon here today urged the Punjab government to issue strict instructions for effective implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) particularly wearing of masks and hand sanitization. Dr Sekhon said that there was a marked increase in the number of new cases among school children and it had been observed that there was little adherence to wearing masks by school students and teachers. Special squads from Health and Education departments needed to be deployed to conduct random checks and ensure that no one was allowed to enter school premises without masks. The PMC chief said that whenever there were positive cases reported from any particular school the area should be declared a containment zone. Thorough sanitization should be ensured in schools and other educational institutions to check the spurt in the number of COVID cases. He called upon the people to understand the seriousness of the disease and take precautions to avoid it adding that in Patiala district alone 5 percent more cases were reported in the first 10 days of March as compared to 1.5 percent in January and 2.5 percent of February respectively. Dr Sekhon said that if anyone has fever, breathlessness or oxygen saturation below 94, he should immediately contact the nearest COVID Care Hospital instead of endangering his life. He said that people need to follow all COVID protocols to halt the spread of the virus. The NGOs have a vital role in the sensitization of the people about precautions including wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing and washing hands time to time to keep the virus at bay, he added. (editor@dailyworld.in)