With the state reporting single-day highest spike this year at 2994 fresh infections on Friday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal said that the State Government will shut down schools for students up to middle classes till April 30 in view of a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“As a precautionary measure, the Government will shut down schools for students up to middle classes (class 8) till April 30 and if required, it will be extended. The situation will be reviewed district wise and decision will be taken to put more restrictions, whenever required,” the Chief Minister said while talking to the mediapersons in Gurugram.
“There is no need to panic as was seen in March-April last year at the outbreak of the pandemic. The situation is under control. We have stepped up the vaccination drive. We are taking all necessary steps to check further spread of the virus,” he said.
11 deaths due to COVID-19 and 2994 fresh positive cases were reported in the state on Friday. The death toll due to COVID-19 has reached 3241 while the total infections jumped to 310504 in Haryana. There were 18142 active cases in the state.
In the last 24 hours, two deaths were reported in Panchkula while one death each was reported in Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Ambala, Hisar and Faridabad, as per the Haryana Health Department’s evening bulletin.
The State Government has decided to observe a vaccination festival from April 11 to 14 during which 6 to 7 lakh people will be vaccinated against COVID-19 free of cost.
In Haryana, Gurugram district continued to be worst affected due to the second wave of COVID-19. The district recorded the highest number of infections at 703 followed by 283 in Karnal. Among other districts, Faridabad recorded 268 cases, Panchkula 228 cases, Kurukshetra 115, Hisar 123, Yamunanagar 246, Jind 180, Sonepat 173 cases, Sirsa 163 cases.
Among the COVID-19 patients, there were 258 critical COVID-19 patients in the state out of which 213 were on oxygen support while 45 were on ventilators.
WILL WRITE TO UNION AGRI MINISTER TO HOLD TALKS WITH FARMERS, SAYS VIJ
With Haryana witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases, Home-cum-Health Minister Anil Vij on Friday said he is concerned about the farmers sitting on the state’s borders with Delhi and would be writing to the Union Agriculture Minister for resuming talks and solve the issue.
All required steps are being taken to check the spread of COVID-19 in the state. But my concern is that a large number of farmers are sitting along Haryana’s borders. Coronavirus cases are spreading fast and I have to save them too from the infection, Vij said while talking to the mediapersons in Ambala.
Vij said, “I will write to the Union Agriculture Minister to resume talks soon so that this issue is resolved and farmers who are sitting in large numbers can go back home. A solution to any problem can be found only through dialogue.”
After holding a review meeting with the Health Department, Vij later said that a vaccination festival will be celebrated in the state from April 11 to 14.
During this period, 6 to 7 lakh people will be vaccinated against COVID-19 free of cost. For this, directions have been given to cancel the holidays of doctors and staff of medical colleges, he said.
He said that there is sufficient amount of vaccine in the state, yet we will demand more vaccine from the Central Government to vaccinate more people.