VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to take up a mass awareness programme on COVID-19. He also directed the health department to issue notification for filling up vacancies at the earliest.
Taking stock of COVID-19 situation in the State, the Chief Minister said the primary job before them was to educate people on COVID-19 symptoms and measures that need to be taken and at the same time ensure that those infected were not stigmatised.
Awareness should be created as to how to approach for tests and on using the helpline 14,410 and 104 without feeling any guilt or stigma. The mass programme should be carried out through media advertisements that depict how to handle the situation.
It should aim at driving away the fear among people on COVID-19, he emphasised.While asking the officials to step up the awareness in the coming two to three weeks, the Chief Minister suggested them to take the help of ANMs, Asha workers, and village volunteers for the same.
Officials informed him district-wise details of the positive rate, mortality rate, number of tests conducted and cases recorded. They explained in details the reasons for the spike in cases in the State. When Jagan enquired about the movement of people through interstate borders, the officials said that they have been concentrating on people coming from six States.
Stating that those coming from other states should not be made to wait for hours at the border check posts, he directed the officials to take steps in that direction. Health Minister Alla Nani, Chief Secretary Neelam Sawhney, DGP Goutham Sawang, Special Chief Secretary (Health) KS Jawahar Reddy, and other officials attended the meeting.