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Cabinet Secretary and PS to PM interacting with states on Covid-19 situation

By IndianMandarins- 23 Mar 2020
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The entire government apparatus is keeping a watch on Coronavirus situation in the country with Cabinet Secretary and the Principal Secretary to the PM reviewing status, actions are taken and preparedness regarding management and containment. These officers have interacted with Chief Secretaries of States through a video conference.

The increase in the number of confirmed cases during the last few days was discussed with Central government impressing upon the states the need for urgent and effective interventions. Following decisions have been taken:

  1. State governments will issue orders allowing only essential services to operate in districts with confirmed COVID-19 cases.
  2. The focus should be on closure of all activities except essential services such as hospitals, telecom, medicine shops, provision stores etc.
  3. Manufacturing and distribution of essential commodities like medicines, vaccines, sanitizers, masks, medical devices, their ancillaries and support services etc., should be exempt from these restrictions.
  4. All train services suspended till March 31, 2020 including sub urban rail services. All metro rail services suspended till March 31, 2020. Interstate passenger transport also to be suspended till 31st Mar 2020.
  5. States to request industries, establishments etc., to allow their employees to work from home and provide remuneration to them during this period. Central Government has already asked Labour Ministry and Ministry of Corporate Affairs to issue necessary instructions to this effect.
  6. States to assess the availability of medical services including quarantine and scale them up to meet all possible contingencies. States were asked to have earmarked facilities fully dedicated to manage the COVID-19 cases only.
  7. Each State was requested to identify and ensure that such hospitals are equipped to manage the COVID 19 cases.

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