The Odisha government has asked all Collectors and Superintendents of Police (SP) to focus on community surveillance and community monitoring for better management of COVID-19.
The direction was conveyed in a review meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy.
Stating that the month of June is very 'crucial' in the fight against the crisis, Tripathy asked the officials to keep strict vigil and enforce the law and COVID-19 guidelines as around 4.5 lakh people had recently returned to the state from across the country, and many have been sent to home quarantine after being discharged from institutional quarantine facilities.
The Collectors have been asked to form Ward level monitoring committees and strengthen community surveillance to ensure participation of the people in keeping the spike of cases in check.
Tripathy reiterated to follow quarantine protocols scrupulously without any relaxation. Each district has been instructed to make its own strategy for containing the spread of the disease and to protect the high-risk population.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police, Abhaya directed the SPs to focus on five aspects of enforcement. These include wearing of masks, shutdown in eleven districts (as declared by the government) on Saturdays and Sundays, evening and night curfew, regulation in the number of people attending marriages and funerals, and following social distancing with original zeal.
With 143 more COVID-19 cases being reported from Odisha, the total number of cases in the state reached 2,388 on Wednesday, according to the state Health Department.
( With inputs from ANI )