Himachal CM directs officers to seal hotspots of coronavirus in state

Shima: While holding video conference meeting in wake of coronavirus with all the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers of the State from Shimla today, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur directed the officers that hotspots of coronavirus in the State must be sealed so that it could not spread further. He said that at present such hotspots were in Kangra, Chamba, Sirmaur, Solan and Una districts.  
Jai Ram Thakur said that no relaxation in curfew would be provided in hotspot areas and added that essential commodities must be provided in such hotspots through home delivery system. He asked the officers to strengthen home delivery system in their respective districts as it would discourage people to come out for getting their daily needs commodities. He said that plying of vehicles must be banned in these areas.    
He said that all public places of hot spots would be sanitized. He said that Active Case Finding Campaign would be launched in these areas besides opening fever clinic. He said that all persons who have fever and cough symptoms would be investigated.
Chief Minister asked them to install CCTV cameras immediately in all major religious places of worship in the State which would go a long way in tracing out such people who disobey the Government orders. He said that Government would take strict action against such violators.
Chief Minister said that State Government would ensure availability of masks to the people and wearing of it would be made mandatory. He said that this step would also go a long way in checking its further spread.  He urged the NGOs to come forward in providing home-made masks to the people of the State.  
Jai Ram Thakur said that under the Active Case Finding Campaign launched throughout the State, health information of about 59 lakh persons were collected by the health workers during door to door campaign.  He said that Charitable Hospital Bhota in Hamirpur district, S.S. Memorial Ashirwad Hospital Chamba, Civil Hospital, Sarahan, district Sirmaur and Agarwal Hospital Jwalamukhi in district Kangra had been notified as Secondary Care Hospitals.
Chief Minister said that as many as 5035 persons had been kept under surveillance for corona virus in the State so far out of which 2556 people had completed 28 days of surveillance period. He said that investigations of 114 persons for COVID-19 had been done in the State today out of which 57 samples have been found negative and report of 57 samples were still awaited.
Chief Secretary Anil Khachi asked the Deputy Commissioners to lay special thrust on tracking close contacts of COVID-19 patients.
Additional Chief Secretary Health R.D. Dhiman said that 773 persons had so far been investigated in the State for coronavirus. He said that presently reports of 28 people had been found positive out of which two persons have been discharged after being found negative. In addition this, four persons have gone for treatment outside the State and one person has died. He said that remaining 21 persons were under treatment in the hospitals of the State.  
Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Director General of Police S.R. Mardi, Additional Chief Secretary Home Manoj Kumar, Principal Secretaries J.C. Sharma and Onkar Chand Sharma and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu attended the meeting.