Government’s priority is to bring down the rising graph of corona infection through micro-planning

The corona cases are increasing in the State because of the ongoing panchayat raj institutions elections in different parts of the State and beginning of marriage season. People have become careless and are moving in crowds without wearing masks and not maintaining social distance.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the State Government’s main priority is to bring down the rising graph of corona infection for which micro-planning has to be done. He said that stress has to be given on increasing sampling and door-to-door sampling in rural areas along with cities to stop the corona infection. The State Government has taken strict steps such as imposing night curfew in eight districts, limiting gatherings to 100 in marriage functions and increasing penalty on violating the guidelines and not wearing masks.

The chief minister was apprised about the preparations made in regard to the expected vaccine. He was informed that work has started to keep the vaccine safe, strengthening cold chain facilities, data analysis of people to be administered vaccine on priority etc.

Gehlot appealed to the people to wear masks and stay away from the crowd till the vaccine comes as these are the basic mantras to prevent this pandemic. He also directed to extend the public awareness campaign against corona to December 31.

The chief minister has asked the health department to prepare guidelines for people facing mental problems and ensure counselling of such people. He said that COVID positive patients had to face mental problems in staying alone and due to ill-effects of the disease. Besides this, this disease has affected people including elderly and children who have been staying at home for months and the youth who are working from home.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had a video conference with chief ministers of eight States over corona management and the performance of Rajasthan has been excellent in all parameters.

Modi asked all the States to bring down the fatality rate due to corona to less than 1%, analyse the reasons the death of patients, to make efforts to keep the positivity rate less than 5%, increase the number of testing, ensure sufficient supply of oxygen and put stress on making the society aware to prevent from corona.

Gehlot informed Modi that the State Government has performed well in managing corona and has been leading in all the parameters. He told that currently the mortality rate due to corona is 0.89% and detailed analysis of reasons of death is being done since the beginning of corona in the State. He also suggested the Prime Minister to get RT-PCR tests done in all the States like Rajasthan instead of rapid antigen tests. Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the only States where 100% testing is done through RT-PCR method.

Rajasthan chief minister further informed that the case positivity rate in the state is 5.8%, which is less than the national average of 6.89%, and the State Government is working seriously to bring it down to less than 5% and per day testing has also been increased to 60,000 tests per day.

Gehlot further told Modi that the oxygen supply system at medical college, district hospital to the level community health centre has been strengthened and as a result availability of oxygen is much more than the requirement.  He said that the state government in the first peak itself increased the number of ICU beds, oxygen beds and ventilators in the State. That is the reason that even during the second wave the State is able to effectively fight the coronavirus. At present, 26% of oxygen beds, 44% of ICU beds and 18% of ventilators are in use which shows that the State has more spare capacity than the requirement.

The chief minister said that awareness campaigns were runs in many phases to bring social awareness in Rajasthan. The awareness campaign that was started on October 2 is continuing till date. He also informed about the other steps taken in the State to control corona.