Cabinet Secretary talks to collectors, commissioners on Covid-19 management

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday held meeting with all states and Union Territories (UTs) on the issue of "Public Health Response" to Covid-19, the deadly virus which has infected 1,58,333 people across the country so far.

The meeting started around 11.30 a.m. through a video conference in which Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries (Health) of all states and UTs took part, the Home Ministry said.

Municipal Commissioners of Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmadabad, Thane, Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Howrah, Indore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur have also been requested to join the meeting, news agency IANS reported.

These cities are among those which reported maximum number of novel Coronavirus or Covid-19 patients in the country.

Collectors of the concerned districts also joined the conference which is unique compared to previous Covid-19 meetings chaired by Gauba since the lockdown has been imposed to break the chain of transmission of the disease.

It is learnt that Gauba will take stock of situation and plan a further strategy to slow down the number of Covid-19 patients in the country.

As the countrywide lockdown 4.0 is to end on May 31, the meeting is significant considering new strategy of the Central government against the virus which has crippled not only the lives of people but also the economy, which has been passing through its worst phase.

The meeting is expected to lay a roadmap for the Central government in taking decisions whether the ongoing lockdown that has crossed over 60 days should be extended further. It will also decide the nature of lockdown 5.0 and its duration if the government thinks to implement it further.

The lockdown was imposed across the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 24 announced the restrictions to contain the spread of the Covid-19 disease.