DW BUREAU / chandigarh Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said Punjab was ready to provide all possible help to the Delhi government to combat the COVID-19 threat. "Delhi is fighting a tough battle, and we are there to help if needed. I have said that earlier also," he said. Singh lauded the healthcare and frontline workers of Punjab for their "excellent" work in handling the pandemic in the state. He assured full preparedness by his government to augment healthcare facilities to prepare for a possible second wave of the pandemic. Singh said while nobody knew when the second wave of infection would strike Punjab, the experience of the NCR and other states and regions showed it was almost certain. The chief minister expressed confidence that the health department will once again rise to the occasion to meet any challenge, a government release issued here said. It was the duty of the state government to support the healthcare and other frontline workers, many of whom have got infected and some have even lost their lives to COVID-19, Singh said. He also exhorted the people to actively help the state in the fight against the pandemic by strictly following all safety norms. "Mask hi vaccine hai" (mask is the vaccine), as a resolve for the next few months till a vaccine against infection finally is available, Singh said. The chief minister also launched 107 health and wellness centres to boost the healthcare infrastructure in the state and to provide health services to patients at their doorsteps in both rural and urban areas. He said these new centers would take the state's health infrastructure to a new level of efficacy amid the pandemic. Of the 3,049 centres planned in the state, 2,046 were now operational and 800 more would become operational in the next two months, with the remaining to be opened in 2021, Singh said. He said the state government was focused on strengthening healthcare facilities, especially levels two and three, with the aim to save lives through early testing and treatment. Urging people to avoid crowded places and not have large gatherings and social functions indoors, he stressed the need to observe all precautions, especially washing hands and wearing face masks. (editor@dailyworld.in)