Enhance covid testing and encourage vaccination drive: Himachal CM

Dharamshala: Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has asked the local health and administrative authorities to declare a place or locality as Mini containment Zone where over five Corona positive cases are reported.  Frequency of testing should be increased and people should be encouraged to vaccinate themselves. He urged the local bodies and NGOs to come forward and help the State Government to educate people in the fight against the resurgence of Coronavirus which is more potent and deadly than last year.

The Chief Minister was presiding over a virtual meeting to review the Covid-19 situation in Kangra and Chamba districts after the new surge of the pandemic in Dharamshala on Tuesday.
 
Thakur said that the number of active cases has been on rise in both the districts and the persons under home isolation should be monitored regularly. “They should be guided properly to keep their morale high and should be provided thermometer, oximeters and medicines by the health authorities. Keeping in view the increasing number of new patients, bed capacity at Tanda Medical College near Dharamshala, should be increased. The death rate carried by the second wave is highly alarming and is not sparing even the young generation,” said CM.
 
The Chief Minister said that keeping the Navraatees in view, all devotees visiting temples and other religious places should avoid overcrowding. The State Government has allowed temples to remain open, but at the same time organizing langars, bhandaras and kirtans have been banned. All the visitors coming to the State will have to carry a negative report, which should not be older than 72 hours from any of the recognized ICMR centres.

Jai Ram said that the newly elected members of the PRIs must work proactively and constantly to help their localities in dealing with this dreadful virus. They should take a lead to educate the public to strictly adhere to the SoPs issued by the Government from time to time.
 
Principal RPMC Tanda Dr. Bhanu Awasthi and CMO Dr. Gurudarshan Gupta gave presentations regarding the steps taken to deal with Corona. DC, Kangra Rakesh Kumar Prajapti and DC Chamba, DC Rana briefed about the ongoing scenario of their districts.