COVID-19: Gehlot asks officials to strictly implement guidelines as focus shifts to in Rajasthan villages

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday directed officials to ensure strict compliance of COVID-19 guidelines to contain the spread of the pandemic in the state, an official statement said.

Chairing a meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in the state, Gehlot asked collectors of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Chittorgarh, Alwar and Bhilwara, districts which are witnessing a rapid rise in cases, to ramp up testing, draw plans for creating containment zones and tracing contacts of those who test positive for the disease, it said.

He said there should be effective enforcement of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which prohibits the assembly of more than four people, in the urban areas of the state, the statement said.

Health Secretary Siddharth Mahajan briefed the chief minister on Thursday's report of COVID-19 cases, it added.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan surged to 3,50,317 on Thursday as 3,526 more people tested positive for the disease, while the death toll climbed to 2,886 with 20 more fatalities, according to an official report.

Health Minister Subhash Garg, Chief Secretary Niranjan Arya, and Vice Chancellor of Rajasthan University of Health Sciences Dr Rajababu Panwar, among others, were present at the meeting.

He also said that though villages in the state have so far remained "safe" from the coronavirus pandemic, lessons should be learnt from Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh where the infection is spreading rapidly in rural areas.

He said his government was trying to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in villages.

Gehlot, after attending the chief ministers' virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the COVID-19 situation, also appealed to people to visit hospitals as soon as they notice any symptoms of COVID-19 to prevent fatalities.

He said during the meeting with PM Modi, his Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh counterparts Uddhav Thackeray and Bhupesh Baghel, respectively, mentioned that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the villages situated on the borders of the two states.

"Earlier, coronavirus was considered to be limited to cities only, but now it is showing a serious impact in rural areas as well.

The villages in Rajasthan are safe but we should learn a lesson from the situation prevailing there (Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh)," he added.

Gehlot said his government's endeavour is to prevent COVID-19 from spreading in the state's villages.

Taking to Twitter, the chief minister highlighted the importance of timely treatment in preventing deaths due to COVID-19.

"Despite showing symptoms, infected people across the country, including Rajasthan, come to hospital late due to which the number of deaths increases. I appeal to the common people to go to the hospital immediately and get treatment as soon they notice the symptoms," Gehlot said.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Rajasthan surged to 3,50,317 on Thursday as 3,526 more people tested positive for the disease, while the death toll climbed to 2,886 with 20 more fatalities, according to an official report.