Bhubaneswar: With the completion of institutional quarantine of lakhs of returnees, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy directed the district Collectors to focus on community surveillance to check Covid-19 spread.
Tripathy held a review meeting on novel coronavirus with all the Collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) of the state Tuesday evening over video-conferencing from Lok Seva Bhawan.
“The month of June is very crucial for all of us in our fight against the crisis. Around 4.5 lakh people have returned to state from different parts of the country. Many people have been discharged from institutional quarantine and will remain in home quarantine. We have to keep strict vigil and enforce the laws,” Tripathy told the Collectors and SPs.
He instructed the collectors to form ward-level monitoring committees soon and strengthen community surveillance on Covid. Active participation of the community can check spike in spread of the disease, he said.
He reiterated that all migrants have to follow quarantine protocols scrupulously without any relaxation. The Collectors were asked to intensify the IEC campaign at all levels to keep the people alert and careful.
“People should be convinced not to confuse the relaxation for livelihood as relaxation in social distancing. The social distancing norms must be enforced strictly,” said Tripathy.
Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said, “Because of the dynamic nature and extent of the crisis, each district should have its own strategy of containing the disease. Have an extensive IEC campaign to protect the old persons and people with co-morbidity.”
Director General of Police Abhay, who was also present at the meeting, directed the SPs to focus on five aspects of enforcement. These included wearing of masks, shutdown in 11 declared districts Saturdays and Sundays, evening and night curfew, regulation of marriages and funerals and social distancing with its original zeal.
The DGP further directed the SPs to focus on places and institutions that attract crowd. This will automatically reduce the number of people on the streets. He further instructed to strictly control wandering of the people outside without any emergency, he said.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena asked the collectors to ensure quality of management in TMC and quarantine centeres as per the SOP.
Jena further advised them to issue proper discharge certificates to the returnees for facilitating their acceptance in the community.