Andhra health officials recommend limiting 'Vinayaka Chaviti' celebrations to homes, CM directs to ensure precautionary measures

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday directed the authorities to ensure that the precautionary measures are being followed during the festive season after the health department suggested limiting Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations to homes rather than public places.

Reddy held a review meeting on the prevailing Covid situation, vaccination and preparation to face the third wave and further decided to continue night curfew from 11 pm to 6 am keeping the festival season in view.

During the review meeting held at the camp office, the officials of the health department suggested taking precautions during the festive season in view of the Covid conditions by limiting Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations to homes rather than public places. As they also recommended avoiding immersion processions, the Chief Minister directed the authorities to ensure the precautionary measures are being followed.

He further instructed the officials to ensure Covid protocols are followed in all educational institutions, public places by maintaining social distance and wearing masks.

In regard to vaccination, the Chief Minister instructed the authorities to study the effect of Covid after taking the vaccine and its effects on people infected with the virus even after taking the vaccine. He also instructed the officials to focus on booster dose and come up with an action plan after completing the two-dose vaccination across the State.

The officials informed that so far 3,02,52,905 doses of vaccine have been received and were administered to 2,18,04,564 people. Of these, 1,33,56,223 received a single dose of vaccination while 84,48,341 have been administered with two doses. The officials were confident that by the end of November all those above 18 years will be provided with a single dose of vaccination and complete the entire task by February 2022.

Further, the authorities informed the Chief Minister that there are currently 14,473 active cases, where almost over two lakh cases have been observed in May this year. The recovery rate is at 98.58 per cent, the Positivity rate is at 2.11 per cent and added that positivity rate is less than three in almost 10 districts across the State. The officials said that there are zero cases in almost 10,000 village secretariats.

Keeping the Covid third wave in view, the officials informed that 20,964 oxygen concentrators and 27,311 D type oxygen cylinders were made available and added that oxygen works will be completed in 95 government hospitals by the end of September.

The Chief Minister directed the officials to complete the recruitment process in Government hospitals within 90 days and added that there shouldn't be any case of deputation.

He told the authorities to monitor the attendance of the staff on a regular basis and said that there shouldn't be any difficulty in providing quality medical services to the people. He further stressed that only drugs with WHO and GMP standards should be kept in government hospitals and told to conduct inspections frequently.

Deputy Chief Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, DGP Goutam Sawang, Health Principal Secretary Anil Kumar Singhal, Covid task force committee chairman MT Krishna Babu, Health Commissioner Katamaneni Bhaskar, Arogyasri CEO V Vinay Chand, APMSIDC VC and MD D Muralidhar Reddy, Medical and Health Director (Drugs) Ravi Shankar and other officials were present.

( With inputs from ANI )