While holding video conferencing in the 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 extensive campaign must be launched for contact mapping of Tablighi Jamaat coronavirus infected persons so that it does not multiply further. He said that such persons should be kept in quarantine till they were not medically examined. He urged the people to come forward to identify such people in their areas to check further spread of coronavirus. He said that State Government would not hesitate in taking strict action against those who would conceal information about their travelling history and those who give shelter to them. Jai Ram Thakur said the ESI Hospital Katha in Baddi area of Solan district has been notified as Hospital for treatment of COVID-19 positive patients and patients from Solan and Sirmaur districts would be treated in this hospital.He said that the State Government had started tele-medicine consultancy facilities in Health and Wellness centres to facilitate the people in getting treatment advise from specialists. Chief Minister said that State Government had decided to deduct 30 percent salary/honorarium etc. of Chief Minister, Ministers, Members of Legislative Assembly and all political appointees for one year besides suspending Vidhayak Kshetra Vikas Nidhi Yojna for period of two years and added that these funds would be utilized to combat the menace of coronavirus effectively.Chief Minister said that no laxity should be permitted in curfew. He said that vehicles must also be restricted besides ensuring that people do not step out un-necessarily during the relaxation of curfew.
Jai Ram Thakur directed the officers that it should be ensured that there was no inconvenience to the people and sufficient essential commodities were made to them during the relaxation of curfew. He said that home delivery system should further be strengthened as it would discourage the people to come out for getting essential commodities. He said that special thrust should be laid on checking, hoarding and profiteering and strict action must be taken against the violators.Jai Ram Thakur said that under the Active Case Finding Campaign launched throughout the State, health information of 41 lakh persons were collected by the health workers during door to door campaign. He said that 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 4684 persons had been kept under surveillance for coronavirus in the State so far out of which 2188 people had completed 28 days of surveillance period. He said that investigations of 79 persons for COVID-19 had been done in the State today out of which 22 samples have been found negative and report of 57 samples were still awaited.Additional Chief Secretary Health R.D. Dhiman said that 534 persons had so far been investigated in the State for coronavirus. He said that presently reports of 18 people had been found positive out of which two persons have been discharged after being found negative. In addition to this, four persons have gone for treatment outside the State and one person has died. He said that remaining 11 persons were under treatment in the hospitals of the State. Education Minister Suresh Bhardwaj, Chief Secretary Anil Khachi, 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.