Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday stressed adopting precautionary measures and creating wide spread public awareness to prevent a second spate of COVID-19 situation in State.
Reviewing the situation through video conferencing, he emphasized on immediate action.
“If we do not take immediate action, our state will be in grave danger,” he said while mentioning about some states where the infections have resurged and situation in those states was deteriorating rapidly.
Mr.Patnaik said comprehensive precautionary measures and public awareness was required to curb any spike in the infections.
“It had been a year since the Battle of Covid. So our doctors, paramedics, frontline fighters, administration, panchayat representatives and the police– all of us have so far been successful in fighting the virus due to selfless service and sacrifice. The state has also gained national and international recognition for its successful fight against COVID-19” he said.
The Chief Minister said the State is back to normal in terms of disease control, livelihood creation and economy.
“Tthe return of Covid is being observed in many countries of the world, including our country. In each case, they have controlled it, despite obstacles we can scarcely imagine,” he said.
In such cases, it is important to take steps to prevent the spread of second-hand infections and to raise awareness about the use of masks and hand washing, he said and added that there was a need to ensure strict adherence to the use of masks, especially in public places.
The Chief Minister suggested that all districts hold awareness and coordination meetings with local leaders, panchayat representatives and religious organizations in their respective areas.
The Chief Minister said that in many countries, the second wave of Covides is more severe than the first wave. All of these countries are returning to the lockdown situation, he said while cautioning, “It would be very detrimental for us to return to Lockdown again.”
The Chief Minister therefore appealed to all to ensure that we all exercise self-control and abide by the Covid regulations everywhere in the state.
He encouraged ordinary people as well to take part in solving this great task.
He directed the Chief Secretary to monitor the situation closely and conduct regular reviews.
The Chief Minister also directed the district magistrates and SDPs to monitor the implementation in person in their respective areas.
The Chief Minister also suggested that the Department of Health and Information and Public Relations launch a massive campaign and IEC campaign.
He directed for immediate announcement of all the rules and necessary information through the postal machine in the villages, weekly hats and crowded markets.
The Chief Minister also directed the district magistrates to closely monitor the surveillance and testing programs in their respective areas.
Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said that the Covid Act would be strictly observed in the state as per the instructions of the Chief Minister. He advised the districts bordering Chhattisgarh to be more vigilant.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra gave a detailed presentation on the current situation.
“There has been a slight increase in Covid positive cases in the last few days,” he said, adding that Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack and Khordha districts-40 per cent of the out-of-state outbreaks in the State, while none in Nayagarh and Malkangiri.
At present, there are six active patients in the State, 108 are being treated in hospitals and the state’s coveted infrastructure is fully prepared, he said.
The RT-PCR test is being emphasized and people from Red Flag states are being closely monitored.
Highlighting the need for immunization, he said that so far 18.41 lakh people have been vaccinated in the state. He said the center had been asked to send an additional 2.5 million doses of the vaccine. The state has a vaccine loss rate of 0.24 per cent, the lowest in the country, Mr.Mohapatra said.
Director General of Police Abhay said that the Police Administration has been instructed to strictly comply with the Covid regulations.
The meeting was informed that outbound passengers at the stations and airports were being closely monitored and steps were being taken for their testing.
Chief Minister’s Secretary 5-T VK Pandian, Development Commissioner PK Jena Agricultural Production Commission RK Sharma, Principal Secretary Agriculture Saurabh Garg and Principal Secretary Water Resources Anu Garg and other senior officials were present at the review.
