Odisha CM Orders 10-day Special Drive Across State To Slow Down Covid Spread

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to launch a 10-day special drive throughout the State to slow down the spread of Coronavirus.

Reviewing the Covid-19 situation in the State through video conferencing, Patnaik asked the top cop to deploy police personnel in large number to strictly enforce the Covid safety protocols.

“We have to enforce the Covid safety protocols strictly to slow down the spread of the virus. DGP to deploy the police personnel in large numbers across the State in a 10-day drive to strictly enforce the Covid Safety protocols as notified,” the CM said.

Focusing on Western Odisha where the concentration of cases is high due to the proximity of the districts to Chhattisgarh, Patnaik asked Chief Secretary, ACS Health and Family Welfare and Senior officials to visit the region and take suitable action.

“Currently, the virus spread seem to be mainly concentrated in the districts adjoining the Chhattisgarh border. I would urge the Chief Secretary, ACS Health and Family Welfare and Senior officials concerned to visit the Western Odisha districts with high incidence of the Covid Positive cases and make an on the ground assessment and take suitable urgent action,” the CM said.

He has also asked the Health department to immediately redeploy doctors, paramedics, Lab technicians in Western Odisha districts to strengthen the manpower required to fight the virus.

“There should be sufficient Hospital capacity to take care of the increasing cases. Adequate ambulances with oxygen supply to be deployed in the highly affected areas and proper monitoring systems to be put in place to ensure that any emergency call is addressed timely and with a sense of urgency and sensitivity. There should be no complaints about non-responsiveness of ambulances or lack of beds in the hospitals,” the CM asserted.

The CM further said the new wave of Covid virus spread seems to be more infectious and added that it might create a devastating situation, if we do not take it seriously.

“We will go for strict enforcement of Covid norms at institutional and Individual level. I appeal to all the people of Odisha to be alert and follow the norms and please cooperate with the enforcement machinery. There is no place for complacency as valuable lives are at stake,” the CM added.