BHOPAL: The rush at the Boat Club over the weekend reflects a worrying absence of fear of the Covid infection in the state capital. Visitors have thrown all Covid guidelines and protocols, such as putting on masks and maintaining social distancing, to the winds. Medical experts have blamed the public for their carelessness towards the spike in the number of corona cases. Until last month, the corona-positive rate in Madhya Pradesh was below 1 per cent and, now, it is 3 per cent.
The state government has swung into action and even Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan talks tough on an impending night curfew in Indore and Bhopal if the situation does not improve there, but the chief minister’s harsh words seem to be falling on the deaf ears of the public. The health department and district administration have swung into action after the state government’s instructions to be strict in implementation of such guidelines as putting on masks and maintaining social distancing.
The health department is continuing with its strategy of “test, track and treat” and accelerate vaccination for priority population groups in the districts reporting a higher number of infections in mission mode. The health department has been asked to collaborate with private hospitals to open up a vaccination time-table for a minimum of 15 days and maximum of 28 days at a time. It has been asked to increase the share of RT-PCR tests in districts dependent on high levels of antigen testing, refocus on surveillance and stringent containment of those areas in select districts which are seeing a cluster of cases and carry out an average close-contact tracing of a minimum of 20 people per positive case.
‘Action begins on Monday’
"Our team will swing into action on Monday at such spots and market for implementation of Covid protocols. The public should also realise their responsibility and accountability during pandemic times," says Devendra Chaudhary tehsildar, Jahangirabad.
