BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday warned that lockdown will again return to the State if people continue to flout Covid guidelines.
Reviewing the Covid situation, the Chief Minister said responsible behaviour from people during the coming festival season can only prevent a third wave of the pandemic in Odisha. He said that lockdown restrictions have been relaxed keeping the interest of people in mind, but there should be no complacency and everybody should wear masks, avoid crowds and maintain social distance.
The Chief Minister expressed concern over the spike in Covid cases in many countries including America and Kerala in India and said that guidelines are the only weapons we have to fight against the pandemic. Stating that as children are yet to be vaccinated, he said that everybody should be careful to prevent infection among them.
The heads of the schools and other educational institutions will be held responsible for laxity in obeying Covid guidelines, he said and added that special teams should be constituted to check on educational institutions.
Directing officials to keep a close watch on marketplaces, all religious and health institutions, the Chief Minister said that there should be regular testing of high-risk groups of people including health workers, school-going students, pregnant women, government employees and police.
Don’t lower guard during upcoming festivals, CM warns
He asked officials to raise awareness about Covid guidelines and ensure proper adherence among employees working in government and non-government sectors. As there is increased infection from the delta variant virus, he asked officials to check its spread by announcing more micro-containment zones. The Chief Minister said that vaccination has increased because of an improvement in the supply of vaccines. He asked the district collectors to ensure that all people are fully vaccinated.