Chief Secretary reviews Covid-19 situation in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, April 16: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra today reviewed the Covid situation in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area and directed Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to ramp up the testing, tracking and isolation in the light of the detection of around 300 cases daily during the current week. Mahapatra also directed to make keep the call center of BMC active for 24 hours, and, set the target to provide possible assistance to people within thirty minutes of getting the call.    Commissioner BMC Prem Chaudhury appraised that the denizens have been requested to contact toll free number 1929 for getting information about Covid testing and treatment facilities. He also appraised that as of now 33 rapid response teams (RRTs) have been put in service of the people in different locations of the city.  The Chief Secretary directed to enhance testing target to 3000 per day in the city area. He also directed to increase the number of RRTs and allot specific areas to each team. The teams will monitor home isolation cases, and, also ensure strict implementation of the Covid appropriate behavior among people in the allotted area. The patients in home isolation should be contacted on daily basis and be given necessary advice. He also directed that the positive patients in home isolation should also be daily warned not to come out.  Further, the Chief Secretary directed to intensify the preventive and enforcement activities by decentralizing the market places and dispersing of the people gathering near road side, in front of the tea shop and other shops. The shops where people gather should be lucked. “Put the BMC task force groups in preventive works and take the help of police when necessary”, directed Mahapatra. It was decided to request temple management committees for regulating the entry of people to the temple and other celebrations for containing spread of the disease.