HP govt seeks help of civil society, opinion leaders to tackle Covid

Shimla: With Covid-19 attaining a super-speed in the state, raising the numbers alarmingly, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asked the civil society and opinion leaders to help the government in tackling the dreaded pandemic, and save valuable lives.

On the second day of his tour to two districts of Solan and Una—both worst affected by Covid-19, Chief Minister said elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies must come forward to motivate the people to use face masks, maintain social distancing and strictly follow the SoPs particularly regarding number of people permitted in a social or religious function.

"They can also pay a pivotal role by acting as a bridge between the State Health Department and those in home isolation due to Covid positive," he said.

He asked the opinion makers and heads of civil societies to motivate the people to come forward to get themselves tested for Covid-19.

This would not only help in time-bound detection of Corona cases, but also help in checking the spread of this virus. He said that people should voluntarily come forward for testing as this would not only protect them but also help in containing this virus.

Thakur said that these representatives must also motivate the people to go for vaccination as this was vital for their well-being and safety. The representatives of the religious organization should come forward to motivate the people to avoid gatherings in large numbers in various social functions such as marriages etc.

The Chief Minister said the major cause of concern was the sharp surge in the number of Covid cases. There were only 218 active cases, but today this number has crossed the 8400 mark.

Meanwhile in view of the huge pressure of the Covid patients at Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, Shimla, the state government has decided to convert another government hospital –Deen Dayal Upadhaya Hospital as Covid Hospital.

Twenty three deaths in the past 20 hours and cases creating a highest record of 2188 has put Himachal Pradesh on high Corona alert with districts viz Una, Solan, Sirmaur, Kangra and Shimla being hotspots in the state.