The Department of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Punjab, on October 23, 2026, issued the Punjab Prevention and Control of Influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 Regulations, 2026.
The following has been stated:
• These shall come into force from October 23, 2026, and will remain valid for three years from commencement.
• The Department of Health and Family Welfare and designated district-level health officials, along with Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners and Sub-divisional Magistrates, are authorised to conduct fever and epidemiological surveillance, contact tracing, and inspections of government and private healthcare facilities after informing premises’ occupants or owners.
• All government and private hospitals shall establish Flu Corners for screening Influenza-Like Illness (ILI), follow the applicable Government of India guidelines for categorisation, testing and treatment, and report all ILI cases to the respective district Civil Surgeon; confirmed H1N1/H3N2 cases shall also be reported by hospitals and laboratories. Suspected and confirmed cases shall be isolated to prevent the spread of infection. Private hospitals and laboratories intending to conduct testing shall obtain prior permission from the Department of Health and Family Welfare, with their testing capacity certified by the concerned Civil Surgeon.
• Testing shall be restricted to samples of patients falling under Category C, and empanelled private facilities shall not charge more than the prescribed rates. No person, institution or organisation may disseminate information about H1N1/H3N2 through print or electronic media without prior permission from the Punjab Government, with the stated objective of preventing rumours and unauthenticated information.
[Notification No. - HFW-HLH405A/6/2024-1H4/I/1503369/2026]
