VIJAYAWADA: A date after educational institutes to contain the spread of COVID-19, the State government on Thursday decided to close major places of worship till March 31. Cinemas, malls, gyms, swimming pools and amusement parks too will be shut, and congregations and protest demonstrations are to be avoided. The government also advised people to either postpone weddings or conduct them only with relatives.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took stock of the situation at a high-level meeting. Stating that there is no need to panic, he urged people to cooperate with the authorities to effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19.
He stressed the need to effectively utilise the system of village/ward volunteers for door-to-door surveys to trace foreign returnees and people in home isolation, and find those who are yet to be traced. Officials were advised to use technology to monitor the situation and act fast.
The 185 students who recently returned from the Philippines are being tested and have been advised home isolation, officials told the CM. “There is no need for panic, but every need to instil confidence and explain the measures being taken by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19,” the CM emphasised.
Govt urges people to postpone weddings and social gatherings
Later, briefing the media about the steps being taken to contain COVID-19, Deputy Chief Minister (Health and Family Welfare) Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) said the government is initiating steps in a phased manner. “After educational institutions, we have decided to close all major temples, mosques, churches, malls and amusement parks till March 31,” he said. The minister clarified that devotees would not be allowed into the Tirumala temple, but rituals would be performed as usual. Small temples, mosques and churches are being exempted as the number of devotees would be less than 100 for the entire day. With regard to Ugadi celebrations, a decision will be taken in a day or two, he added.
He also requested the management of restaurants, bars and other commercial establishments to adopt the suggested measures such as maintaining a gap of one metre between tables, ensuring cleanliness, providing water to wash hands and sanitisers. “We urge people to take responsibility and cooperate with the government as the problem is everyone’s,” he said.
As for weddings and other social gatherings, the minister urged people to postpone them, and if this is not possible, limit the number of people participating to immediate family members. The Transport department was told not to allow congestion in public vehicles. “Employees who can work from home are advised to do so as much as possible,” he stressed. He added that the situation in Andhra Pradesh is better than in other states due to the government’s efforts. “Compared to neighbouring Telangana, where the number of positive cases is 13, our State has only two,” he said.
A State-level nodal centre with 360 workers is functioning from NTR Health University and coordinating with similar nodal centres at the district-level to identify those who have returned from abroad and keep a track of their symptoms.“As of today, 12,000 foreign returnees have been identified, including 6,000 informed by the Central government and 6,000 traced by the Health Department with help from ANMs, ASHA workers, and village/ward volunteers. Of 1.4 crore households, 80 per cent have been covered by door-to-door surveys, and those identified have been advised home isolation. People with symptoms are being shifted to hospitals,” he said.He added that around 85 per cent of the foreign returnees have been identified, and requests have been made for those untraced to cooperate with the government.