UP government to tie-up with Facebook to take on coronavirus pandemic

Facebook offers free use of its social media platform to UP

The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday announced its plans to tie-up with popular social networking platform Facebook in its fight against the pandemic coronavirus.

 

According to UP additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi, the Facebook had proposed for a partnership with the state government offering the free use of its platform in the campaign against coronavirus.

 

“We have received a proposal from Facebook and the state information department will prepare an action plan in a day or two to use the social media platform in our campaign against coronavirus,” he told the media here this evening.

 

He said the government had also deployed more than 15,000 publicity vans across the state’s 75 districts to create awareness regarding coronavirus and to contain its spread.
 

 

So far, UP Police have registered 3,710 first information reports (FIR) under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for defying the government orders pertaining to the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.

 

More than 11,300 persons had been challaned in these cases, while 5,732 accused have already been arrested. The cops have checked 381,000 vehicles during the lockdown period, of which about 93,000 vehicles were challaned for violating the orders and a fine of Rs 1.91 crore has also been recovered from the offenders.

 

Besides, the government has filed more than 20 FIRs under the Essential Commodities Act (ECA) under the charges of black marketing and hoarding of essential commodities, including food, medicines etc in Prayagraj, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Meerut, Varanasi, Gautam Budh Nagar regions. The state has announced to even slap the stringent National Security Act (NSA) if required.

 

So far, 49 coronavirus positive cases have been identified in UP, of which 14 have been discharged after treatment. Currently, there are eight functional coronavirus testing facilities in the state, which are being increased.

 

At present, there are 4,255 isolation beds in UP and more beds are being readied. The state plans to augment the number of these beds to 15,000, apart from similar facilities in the private sector.

 

UP medical, health and family welfare principal secretary Amit Mohan Prasad claimed so far there had not been any community transmission coronavirus case in the state. He further informed the government had increased the supply of masks in the wake of the rising demand and that there was no shortage of such items in the market.

 

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has constituted 11 committees for monitoring the different aspects of the fight against coronavirus. He has deputed bureaucrats as nodal officers for overseeing the interim stay, including food and loding, of the people belonging to UP but working in other states.

 

Yesterday, a committee headed by the state additional chief secretary (finance) had been constituted to suggest measures to boost the state’s economy in the backdrop of the lockdown.