NE NEWS SERVICE
GANDHINAGAR, MARCH 23
Twelve new coronavirus cases have been reported in Gujarat, taking the total number of those infected by the deadly virus in the state to 30, the state health department said on Monday.
Out of the 12 cases reported on Monday, five are those of local transmission, while other patients have a history of travel to Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, France, and the UK, it said.
મુખ્યમંત્રીશ્રી વિજયભાઈ રૂપાણીએ આજે સી.એમ.ડેશબોર્ડના કમાન્ડ કંટ્રોલ સેન્ટર પરથી અમદાવાદ, સુરત, રાજકોટ, વડોદરાના કોરોના અસરગ્રસ્ત દર્દીઓ સાથે વીડિયો સંવાદ કરીને સરકાર તરફથી તમામ સહાયની ખાતરી આપી હતી. આ ઉપરાંત, તબીબો પાસેથી હોસ્પિટલમાં ઉપલબ્ધ દવાઓ, સારવાર, સગવડોની વિગતો મેળવી હતી. pic.twitter.com/BmOPUQeNOy
— CMO Gujarat (@CMOGuj) March 23, 2020
With this, cases in Ahmedabad have gone up to 13, Vadodara-six, Surat-five and Gandhinagar-four, while there is one case each reported from Kutch and Rajkot, the health department said.
The state has so far reported one death- of a 67- year-old coronavirus positive patient in Surat on Sunday. He was suffering from ailments like kidney failure, asthma, and others.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the ‘Janta curfew’ on Sunday was just a token and the coronavirus- affected districts of the state will have to follow the same partial lockdown till March 31.
“Sunday’s ‘Janta curfew’ was just a token. People of Gujarat must follow this till March 31. People should not come out unnecessarily. We are about to enter the third stage where the virus transmits in communities with a multiplying effect. China is in the fifth stage, where recovery starts,” Rupani said in the state Assembly here.
“Till now, we have put five major cities – Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Gandhinagar – and the entire Kutch district under lockdown. Now, we are mulling to stop people’s movement in all those districts where cases of coronavirus emerge in the coming days. Essential goods will be available to people during the partial lockdown,” he said.
In his message to the public posted online, Rupani said this was a “decisive stage”, and appealed to the public to follow the protocol related to partial lockdown in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Gandhinagar and Kutch, from where cases have been reported so far, till March 25.
Rupani said the industry bodies have also extended support to the lockdown.
“We need not fear coronavirus, but need to fight together against the pandemic,” he said.
“I once again ask people to remain indoors till March 31. This is the best way to stop the spread of coronavirus. People from other states need to stay here, instead of fleeing to their native places. This will only spread the virus in other places,” he said.
The chief minister said he has also asked industrialists to ensure that their labourers stay back.
“It will be difficult for the authorities to detect the virus in rural areas,” he said.
Rupani said various industry associations have assured him to shut down their factories till March 31.
The government has banned movement of commercial vehicles on roads in the coronavirus-affected districts.
According to officials, no contract carriages, state carriages, taxis and cabs can ply intra-state till March 25 and inter-state till March 31
Only private and goods vehicles can ply, as well as those delivering essential emergency services or on government duty.
The state government has also started a new coronavirus testing laboratory in Vadodara’s SSG Hospital, collector Shalini Agarwal said.
This will reduce the city’s dependence on the laboratory in Ahmedabad.
APL and BPL cardholders to get one-month food in advance
The government decided to distribute food and other essential commodities in one month in advance from government recognized fair price shops to APL and BPL cardholders.
It was decided at the meeting to give in advance one month’s pension or assistance to destitute, old, widows, mothers, women and divyang.
No visitor will be allowed to visit state government offices without prior appointment or any emergency work till March 29, 2020, to check further spread of the virus.
The Jan Seva Kendra at the district level, which witness huge footfalls, to solve citizens’ problems have also been closed for the same reason.
Customers cannot eat food sitting in restaurants and eating joints, they will not serve food on their premises. Customers have to either take away or get delivery at home.
Shopping malls will remain closed except Kirana, medicine and essential goods shop.
Others present at the meeting included Minister of State for Health Kumar Kanani, Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailshnathan, Principal Secretary M.K. Das, Principal Secretary for General Administrative Department Kamal Dayani, Principal Health Secretary Jayanthi Ravi and Chief Minister’s Ashwini Kumar.
Mob flouts Janta curfew to pay tribute, booked
A mob of 40 people was booked in Khadia in Gujarat”s Ahmedabad city for gathering at 5 pm on Sunday to pay tribute to frontline staff in the fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak.
A video of people chanting slogans, dancing and clanging utensils during Janta curfew, which incidentally was called as a social distancing measure, had gone viral after which a police case was registered, an official said.
મુસાફરોની હેરફેર માટે વપરાતી રિક્ષા,બસો,ટેક્ષી પર કોરોના સંક્રમણની શંભાવનાના કારણે તા.25.3.2020 સુધી પ્રતિબંધ મુકવામાં આવ્યો છે. આ પ્રતિબંધમાં અંગત વપરાશના વાહનો,માલવાહક વાહનો ,આવશ્યક તથા ઇમરજન્સી હેતૂ માટે વપરાતા વાહનો તથા સરકારી ફરજના હેતૂ માટે વપરાતા વાહનોનો સમાવેશ થતો નથી. pic.twitter.com/ji2l3P35VP
— Ahmedabad Police અમદાવાદ પોલીસ (@AhmedabadPolice) March 23, 2020
Police commissioner Ashish Bhatia said an FIR was lodged against 40 persons at Khadia police station under section 188 of the IPC (disobedience of an order duly promulgated by a public servant) and section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897.
“As long as lockdown continues, people should not come out of their homes, and if they do, they should not number more than four in a group. Three FIR have also been registered against people who returned from abroad and were found flouting quarantine rules,” he said.
The FIRs were lodged in Ghatlodia, Maninagar, and Odhav, he added.
Police are surveying homes to ensure no one is breaking the 14-day mandatory isolation rule, he added.
