The view came up during a meeting of senior officials, chaired by Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Badnore.
"If there is a drastic rise in the number of cases or if the residents continue to violate social distancing norms, Chandigarh could opt for weekend closure of markets or curfew on weekends as has been done in Punjab and other states," according to an official release here.
Chandigarh has been witnessing a rise in the number of coronavirus cases. With six fatalities due to the infection, the city has reported 420 COVID cases so far.
The Punjab government has been implementing a stricter lockdown in the state wherein shops selling other than essential items remain shut on Sundays and could open till 5 pm on Saturdays. Moreover, inter-district movement of people is allowed only through e-passes.
Badnore in the meeting said though the administration was doing whatever best possible under the present circumstances, yet the primary responsibility of following the safety guidelines lies with the people.
"All local leaders, voluntary agencies and resident welfare associations should join hands to ensure that the good results received so far do not get neutralised through the entry of COVID positive patients from outside without proper detection or due to non-observance of social distancing norm," said the release.
The UT administrator directed the deputy commissioner to ensure that all visitors from outside the tricity (Chandigarh, Panchkula, Mohali) are screened for for virus symptoms.
They should not be allowed to violate the quarantine norms, said an official release.
Badnore also asked the director general of police to ensure that vehicles bringing visitors from outside are checked at the borders and their details obtained for subsequent monitoring.
Badnore told officials to increase vigil and ensure that all those violating social distance guidelines are penalised through special drive.
The administrator said all pregnant women admitted to hospitals should be tested for coronavirus.
The city administration has already made a 14-day home quarantine mandatory for people coming to Chandigarh for a stay of over 72 hours.
It is not applicable for people belonging to the tricity.
It had also asked people coming from other states to Chandigarh to get themselves registered at the administration's portal. CHS VSD RDK RDK