Cooperation of general public was of utmost importance to curb the spread of COVID-19 at a time when the State government had accorded priority to protect the people from the onslaught of the second wave of viral infection, Minister for Law S. Regupathy said on Thursday.
Calling upon the people to unfailingly adhere to safety measures such as wearing masks while venturing out to public places, washing hands frequently, and maintaining personal distancing, Mr. Regupathy said officials should sensitise the general public at the village-level to the infection and its rapid spread since many of them had remained careless.
Presiding over a meeting along with Minister for Environment Siva V. Meyyanathan at the District Collectorate here to review the measures taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the district, Mr. Regupathy said the State government’s primary task was to carry out measures to contain the spread of the infection in addition to executing other welfare schemes.
Several COVID-19 patients were being admitted in government hospitals from private hospitals in the wake of shortage of oxygen in private hospitals, he said adding that the State government had taken necessary steps to bring oxygen from different districts and other States. The spread of the viral infection could be curbed by ramping up tests in places where it was found to be spreading rapidly. Mr. Regupathy called upon officials of various government departments to work in a coordinated manner for fructification of the steps taken by the State government to protect the people from the infection.
Minister for Environment Siva.V. Meyyanathan said officials of the Local Administration department should work jointly with the people’s representatives while carrying out COVID-19 prevention measures. Pudukottai MLA Dr. V. Muthuraja, District Collector P. Uma Maheswari, Superintendent of Police L. Balaji Saravanan, District Revenue Officer P. V. Saravanan and officials from various government departments took part in the review meeting.
