Calls for strict measures in rural areas for 2 mths

A health worker takes a swab sample of a child at a Patiala village. Rajesh Sachar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 14

With rural areas, which had largely remained unaffected in the first wave, witnessing a surge in Covid cases, CM Capt Amarinder Singh today urged villagers to restrict the movement of outsiders into villages and let in only those not infected by the virus.

Addressing state residents, the CM called for strict measures in rural areas over the next two months, which he described as “extremely crucial”. “Now villages are seeing a surge in cases, so we need to be very careful,” he said, urging villagers to conduct “thikri pehras” (local vigil) to keep outsiders away and allow only Covid-free people to enter.

Lauds farmers over wheat procurement

The CM lauded farmers over seamless completion of wheat procurement amid the Covid challenges. Compared to 129 lakh MT last year, 132 lakh MT wheat had been procured this year, he said, adding this had resulted in earnings to the tune of Rs26,000 crore to farmers, as against Rs24,600 crore last year.

Exhorting people to “save your mohallas and villages to save yourself, your families and Punjab”, the CM asked them not to delay visiting the hospital if symptoms arose.

“We have teams of doctors everywhere, approach them if you feel unwell,” he said, stressing delay in seeking treatment was landing people in level-3 (critical care) facilities. “While occupancy of level-2 (moderate infection) beds is 50 per cent, it is around 90 per cent at level-3 facilities, and the state government is in the process of adding another 2,000 beds,” he pointed out.

Noting that there were three stages of the disease, of which the first could be managed at home, the CM urged people to visit a doctor at the first sign of symptoms. “Let the doctor decide the course of treatment, don’t get into diagnosis and self-medication,” he said.

He wondered why people were harming the interests of the state and their families by being lax, adding “we don’t want Punjab to go the Delhi and Maharashtra way, which have experienced unprecedented problems in the second wave”.

The disease was wreaking havoc the world over, with even the most advanced countries not immune to it, he said, urging people to help his government save the state.