CM Sarbananda Sonowal takes stock of COVID-19 situation in several districts

GUWAHATI: Amid rising trends of COVID-19 positive cases in the State, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday urged the Deputy Commissioners to take proactive steps in their respective districts to slow down the spread of infections, stated a press release.

Taking stock of the COVID-19 situation of the Lower Assam districts of Goalpara, Dhubri, South Salmara, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar and Chirang in Goalpara on Tuesday, Chief Minister Sonowal asked the DCs to be proactive in taking new steps to contain the surging cases of COVID 19 pandemic.

He said that in view of the second wave of the pandemic which had taken a serious proportion in some of parts of the country, Assam should be proactively dealing with the situation to reduce the fatality of the pandemic.

Sonowal, while taking review of the COVID situation in the districts, asked the DCs to ramp up testing and vaccination processes to contain the infections and fortifying the humanity against the virus. He also asked them to ensure that no person from outside the State could creep in without the COVID test done.

Stating the severity of the infection, Sonowal asked the DCs to ramp up COVID treatment facilities like hospital beds, ICU, ventilation infrastructure. Sonowal also took stock of the testing facilities being done at the inter-State gates at Srirampur and Chagalia. He also asked the DCs of Kokrajhar and Dhubri to have constant surveillance on the testing activities. He also asked the Kokrajhar DC to get the testing done on all the passengers disembarking at Kokrajhar Railway station.

During the review meeting, Sonowal asked the DCs to streamline the oxygen supply and its storage facilities in their districts. He also asked them to explore the possibilities of setting up oxygen plants in the districts.

With regard to the home isolations and home quarantines of the COVID positive cases, he asked the DCs to depute government officials to visit such places at least twice in a day to enquire about the health status of the COVID patients and adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour.

Sonowal also asked the DCs concerned to press into services special vehicles to transport COVID positive cases from the char areas to hospitals. Since responsible behaviour leads to containing COVID infections, Sonowal asked the DCs to take help of popular personalities, including public representatives, to raise awareness among the public for promoting COVID appropriate behaviour. He also stressed adequate miking, especially during the evening time to publicize compliance of COVID-19 protocol.

The Chief Minister asked the DCs to set up control rooms with dedicated numbers in each district. He also maintained that the control rooms should be in operation on 24X7 basis. He also said that these control rooms should be manned by dedicated staff all the time.

Sonowal also asked the DCs to ensure that taking advantage of the situation, nobody could create artificial shortage of essential commodities and no trader could rise price of the essential commodities. DCs and SPs of Goalpara, Dhubri, South Salmara Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar and Chirang, Joint Directors of Health, other senior officers of the districts were present at the meeting.

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