Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday directed officials of the State Government that persons with permits issued by the authorities should be tested with rapid diagnostic kits at the entry point of the borders.
Holding a video conference in the wake of coronavirus with the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers of the State from Shimla, he said a person found positive should be shifted to quarantine centres and would not be allowed to travel inside the State and would further be confirmed for coronavirus with RT-PCR test.
Thakur said that only persons with negative reports should be allowed to enter the borders and strict vigil should be kept on such persons during their home quarantine.
The Chief Minister asked the officers to increase the sampling of persons of high risk areas for coronavirus so that situation could be normalized there at the earliest. He said that hot spots of coronavirus would be sealed and there would be no relaxation in curfew in these areas.
He said inter-district and intra-district movement must be restricted so that there were minimum chances of spread of virus to other areas, adding that a mechanism should be evolved under which voluntary blood donors could come forward in donating their blood so that there was no shortage of blood in the hospitals. He said that it must be ensured that proper screening of blood donors was done before taking the blood of the individuals.
Thakur said that the State Government was concerned about the people the State stranded in other States and it is in constant touch with these people and the respective State Governments have been requested to ensure their proper care. He urged such people to remain wherever they are as the Government would ensure their early return as soon as the situation normalizes.
Chief Secretary Anil Khachi, Director General of Police S.R. Mardi, Additional Chief Secretaries Manoj Kumar and R.D. Dhiman, Principal Secretaries J.C. Sharma ,Onkar Sharma and Sanjay Kundu and Secretary Rajneesh also attended the meeting.
GOVERNOR ENQUIRES ABOUT HIMACHALI STUDENTS STRANDED IN UKRAINE
Himachal Governor Bandaru Dattatraya on Friday enquired about the well being of the Indian students including Himachali students who are stranded in Ukraine due to coronavirus pandemic. Higher authorities of the State Government apprised the Governor about the issue and informed that the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has written a letter to the union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this regard and the Ministry is constantly monitoring the evolving situation. The Ukrainian Government had imposed lockdown up to 24 April and the Foreign Minister of Ukraine has assured his personal support in ensuring safety of all the stranded Indians students. Besides MEA, The Indian Embassy in Ukraine is also in constant touch with Indian students.