An elderly man died and 80 new coronavirus cases surfaced in Rajasthan on Thursday, taking the COVID-19 count to 463 as the state government made face masks compulsory in urban areas and agricultural mandis.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot directed officials to use more CCTV cameras, beginning with the Jaipur's walled city, to monitor the movement of people in the coronavirus-hit areas.
At a video conference with officials, he also urged them to apply the "Bhilwara model" of aggressive containment of the disease in other parts of the state.
The 76-year-old man died in Jodhpur, the seventh person in the state so far to succumb to the infection.
Rajasthan has now joined states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi that have made wearing face covers or masks mandatory when people step outside their homes.
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Gehlot asked officials to ensure compliance of the decision in all 196 urban local bodies, and in mandis where procurement of foodgrain is scheduled to begin on April 15.
"The decision was taken to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic in the state," a press release quoting him said.
The 80 fresh cases include a Jodhpur doctor engaged in a door-to-door survey.
Thirty-nine of these cases were recorded from Jaipur alone, seven each from Tonk, Jhalawar and Jhunjhunu, five from Jaisalmer, three from Jodhpur, two from Banswara and one each from Barmer and Bhilwara, an official said.
Gehlot asked officials to identify educational institutes, hotels, hospitals and other buildings which can be used to quarantine people.
Asking them to install cameras to monitor the movement of people in coronavirus hotspots, the CM suggested that the initiative should begin from the Jaipur's walled city.
Jaipur has reported 168 coronavirus cases so far, most of them from the walled city's Ramganj area.
Depending on the result, the measure would be implemented in other hotspots as well, the government statement said.
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