Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur held video conferencing with all the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers of the state from Shimla today to take stock of the situation arisen due to outbreak of Coronavirus epidemic in the country as well as the state.Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioners to make the home delivery system for providing essential commodities to people more effective, as this would help in ensuring proper distancing. He said that in rural areas also volunteers and PRI representatives could be involved to provide home delivery of essential commodities to the people at village level so that unnecessary crowding in PDS shops could be avoided.
Jai Ram Thakur urged the people of the state to emulate the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to switch off the lights in their homes from 9 pm to 9.09 pm on the 5th April, 2020 and light diyas and torches in their balconies. He said that while doing this social distancing must be observed. He said that this will give a new spirit of strength to us in fighting the coronavirus. He said that this appeal will not be applicable for lights in hospitals and all other essential services like public utilities municipal services, offices, street lights, police stations, manufacturing facilities etc. He said there is no call to switch off either street light or appliances like computers TVs, fans, refrigerators and ACs in the homes.Jai Ram Thakur directed the officers to keep strict surveillance on persons of Nijamudeen Tabligi Jamat of Delhi. He said that focus must be that persons with any travel history are identified at the earliest so that coronavirus does not spread to others.
He said that they should be kept in home quarantine or isolation. He said that Himachal Pradesh has already taken all issues regarding all protocols for grid safety to tackle the likely reduction in demand and surge in voltage during the event.Chief Minister said that the State Government has imposed complete ban on sale and distribution of chewing gum, bubble gum and such type of other products in the State for three months.Jai Ram Thakur said that under the Active Case Finding Campaign launched throughout the state, health information of 5.5 lakh persons were procured yesterday by the health workers during door to door campaign. He said adequate arrangements should be made for providing surgical masks, hand sanitizers and gloves to the health workers working under Active Case Finding Campaign.Chief Minister said that as many as 4286 persons had been kept under surveillance for coronavirus in the state so far, out of which 1754 people had completed 28 days of surveillance period. He said that investigations of 88 persons for COVID-19 had been done today out of which 33 samples from Tanda Medical College had been collected and 55 samples were collected in IGMC Shimla and report is awaited. He said that 381 persons had so far been investigated in the state for coronavirus and total six cases had been found positive till now. Chief Secretary Anil Khachi emphasised the need for effectively enforcing curfew in the state and not to allow any laxity.Director General of Police S.R. Mardi said that FIR must register against the persons who concealing information regarding their travelling history under Disaster Management Act.Additional Chief Secretary Health R.D. Dhiman said that 29 new medical officers have also been appointed. Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Additional Chief Secretary, MPP and Power Ram Subhag Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Home Manoj Kumar, Principal Secretary Revenue Onkar Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu, Secretary Rajneesh and Director Information and Public Relations Harbans Brascon attended the meeting.