By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 16 May: Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today chaired a high level meeting of officers to review the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state. The meeting held at the Secretariat was aimed to ensure more effective control of the pandemic.
The Chief Minister directed the officers to arrange for medical screening of the Uttarakhand Migrants returning to the state in the districts to which they were returning, so that the border districts of Uttarakhand were not unduly burdened. It may be recalled that Uttarakhand residents are currently returning in large numbers from other states following relaxation in travel restrictions.
Rawat directed regular monitoring of the people coming from other states in places where they were being quarantined.For this, he said that adequate strength of personnel be deployed. Rawat reminded that the necessity of social distancing and masks be not forgotten or ignored and ought to be strictly implemented in order to effectively control spread of Corona.
It should be ensured that people had access to masks, he said adding that action be taken against those who did not use masks or were found to be spitting in public places.
The CM further directed the officers to make arrangements for return of the migrants from other states to their native states in case they desired to go back. Efforts ought to be made to send them back in the buses coming from other states with the migrants from Uttarakhand.
Rawat directed the officers that complete data of all the people coming from outside states be kept as to where they were being quarantined. If any of these persons were detected to be Corona positive, all their recent contacts be also traced and quarantined.
For this, arrangements be made by the police to send SMS to the contacts so traced to alert them of the detection of Corona. It would be necessary to strengthen the Control Room and IT network in order to ensure this, the CM observed.
The CM praised the good work done by Gram Pradhans in their respective areas towards ensuring effective quarantine of the migrants returning to their villages and observed that the Gram Pradhans had cooperated sincerely with the district and state administration in maintaining the quarantining of the returnees and in strict implementation of the lockdown restrictions.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Om Prakash, DGP Anil Kumar Raturi, Secretaries Amit Negi, Nitesh Jha, Shailesh Bagauli, IG Sanjay Gunjyal, Director NHM Yugal Kishore Pant and DG Health Amita Upreti.
