Second Wave of Covid; Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Cautioned the State may Encounter a Grave Situation

Bureau, Odishabrta

Bhubaneswar,23/03/21: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday cautioned that the State may encounter a “grave situation” if COVID-19 appropriate behaviour is not adopted in letter and spirit in view of the resurgence of the pandemic in some other States.

Reviewing the prevailing corona situation in digital mode, Naveen stressed on adopting precautionary measures and creating wide public awareness to prevent a possible second spell of infection in the State. “If we do not take immediate action, our State will be in grave danger,” Naveen said, adding that some States in India and some countries have already experienced return of lockdown and shutdown. He said that comprehensive precautionary measures and public awareness were required to curb any spike in the infections.

Naveen said: “It had been a year since the battle against the pandemic. 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 State is back to normal in terms of disease control, livelihood creation and economy.

The Chief Minister said it is important to take steps to prevent the spread of second spell of infection. He suggested that public awareness, use of masks and hand washing along with strict adherence of the guidelines could certainly help reduce the infection. Naveen also said that the second wave of Covid is more severe than the first wave in many countries.

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 appealed to all to ensure exercise self-control and abide by Covid regulations everywhere in the State. He said ordinary people have more significant role to play in containing the spread of the infection.

Naveen directed the Chief Secretary to monitor the situation closely and conduct regular reviews. He also asked the district magistrates and SPs to monitor the implementation in person in their respective areas. He said the people in villages, weekly hats and crowded markets should be made aware about the importance of social distancing and wearing face masks.

Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said that the guidelines would be strictly observed in the State. He advised the districts bordering Chhattisgarh to be more vigilant.

Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra said: “There has been a slight increase in Covid positive cases in the last few days. The four districts of Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack and Khurda comprise 40 per cent of the out-of-State outbreaks in the State, while none in Nayagarh and Malkangiri.” The RT-PCR test is being emphasised and people from red flag States are being closely monitored, Mohapatra said, adding that so far 18.41 lakh people have been vaccinated in the State.

He said the Centre has been asked to send an additional 2.5 million doses of vaccine. The State has a vaccine loss rate of 0.24 per cent, the lowest in the country, Mohapatra said.

Director General of Police Abhay said the police administration has been instructed to strictly comply with 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.

Source;SRC,Odisha