CM holds meeting to review Covid-19 situation in state
HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, May 11: While stating that there would be no immediate lockdown in the state due to a surge in Covid-19 positive cases, newly sworn-in health minister Keshab Mahanta on Tuesday said the state government has no plan for announcement of lockdown in the state but more stringent measures will be announced to control the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
“There is no possibility of a lockdown. But the government will take more stringent measures to control the spread of Covid-19,” Mahanta told reporters minutes after the first cabinet meeting here.
Meanwhile, the state government will announce a fresh standard operating procedure (SOP) to combat the pandemic.
The new SOP will be announced by chief secretary Jishnu Barua in the presence of director general of police (DGP) Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta on Wednesday.
Earlier, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed for ensuring strict enforcement of restrictions to bring down the positivity rate in the state.
Reviewing the Covid-19 situation and the actions being taken to contain the pandemic with health minister Keshab Mahanta, disaster management minister Jogen Mohan and senior officers at Janata Bhawan here, the chief minister directed the ministers and senior officers to extensively travel all corners of the state to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Sarma also reviewed the vaccination status, vaccine stock, availability of oxygen, essential medicines etc. to effectively manage the situation.
Sarma also stressed on the importance of creating mass awareness to ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols by all sections of the society to arrest the rising number of cases. He directed to ensure rapid vaccination in big cities to restrict the spread of the pandemic to the villages.
State’s chief secretary Jishnu Barua, DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta, principal secretary to the chief minister Samir Kumar Sinha, principal secretary (health and family welfare) Anurag Goyal, principal secretary (revenue and disaster management) Avinash Joshi, additional director general of police (law & order) GP Singh, NHM mission director Dr. S. Laxmanan, Kamrup (Metro) deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu were present in the meeting.
Later, a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by the chief minister also discussed in detail the prevailing Covid situation in the state.
Each minister will be appointed to oversee the Covid-19 situation in two or more districts. They will undertake visits to their respective districts and hold meetings with DC, joint directors of health and other senior officers to submit a report to the chief minister and health minister within three days of their visit.