GUWAHATI, March 14 - With coronavirus (COVID-19) causing worldwide panic, the Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) on Saturday instructed all revenue circle officers to identify temporary shelter places under their respective jurisdictions, so that those can be converted into temporary hospitals in emergency situations.
Kamrup Metro Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu issued directions to officials concerned to prevent outbreak of the disease in Guwahati.
DC Pegu asked the ADC (Administration and Magistracy) to hold meetings with all hoteliers, shopping malls, cinema halls, etc., on the preventive measures for COVID-19. He asked the Joint Director of Health Service (JDHS) to provide all necessary technical support towards that end. Similarly, ADC (Health) has been instructed to hold meetings with all private hospitals and 108 and 102 emergency health services.
The Deputy Commissioner also asked the CEO of the Zila Parishad to coordinate with all gaon panchayats vis-a-vis generation of awareness and sensitisation of the public.
In the transport sector which is highly vulnerable to outbreak of the disease, DC Pegu directed the DTO to ensure strict surveillance and monitoring of passengers at the ISBT and the Paltan Bazar bus terminus. The transport department has been asked to set up passenger screening areas with the help of the health department. Transport officials will also hold meetings with all the transport associations for sensitisation on the issue.
To create awareness among students and teachers, the DC has asked the Inspector of Schools to hold meetings and issue necessary advisory at every school in Guwahati. In case of private schools and colleges, direction has been given to the ADC (Education) to hold awareness meetings.
Pegu instructed the JDHS and the Police Commissioner to depute adequate manpower at the District Emergency Operation Centre, which will be designated as the nodal control room. He also asked the JDHS to continuously review supply and stock of sufficient medicines in the district.
To prevent outbreak of the disease, the Deputy Commissioner directed the GMC to ensure proper cleanliness in all market areas of Guwahati and to carry out awareness drives at all public places.
Instruction has also been given to the Commissioner of Police to maintain strict surveillance and screening of tourists or travellers coming from different parts of the country and abroad, at the airport, railway stations and at bus terminals. The police will also compile a database of all tourists and travellers and coordinate with the district administration in all necessary situations. In this connection, the DC asked the tourism department to keep track of all tourists and their movement.
Instruction to ensure proper screening and monitoring of passengers at all the railway stations has been given to the NF Railway also.
In order to create mass awareness, instruction has been given to the district public relation department to circulate the control room numbers 1077 and 03612733052 along with news and advisories as and when required. For the same purpose, the DC asked the district social welfare department to carry out sensitisation among anganwadi workers and members of self-help groups.
The Inland Water Transport Department will carry out monitoring and screening of passengers at all the major ferry ghats in the city and the NDRF and SDRF will provide necessary support to the district administration in emergency situations.
In general, all departments have been asked to maintain hygiene and basic precautionary measures to avoid spread of the virus.
DC Pegu gave these directions during a meeting of the District Disaster Management Authority, where senior officials from the police department, Zila Parishad, Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Railway, Airports Authority, NDRF, SDRF, other departments, etc., were present.
Meanwhile, the district administration today said that it will use all police hospitals and battalion hospitals located in the city as quarantine zones in emergency situations. The Police Commissioner has been asked to ensure security at such places.
