Chandigarh, March 5 Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday reviewed the state's preparedness to tackle the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) and directed the Health Department to keep close tabs on the situation triggered by the global spread of the virus.
As on Thursday, 13 people were found symptomatic for COVID 19 with no positive case reported.
The Chief Minister, who has decided to personally monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis, has appealed to the people to keep away from congested and crowded places as a preventive measure.
Amarinder Singh ordered the Health Department to gear up, in mission mode, to deal with the virus.
A state rapid response team has been constituted, with four senior doctors, for the purpose.
A control room has been established in each district, with district rapid response teams to maintain a round-the-clock vigil. These are in addition to the state-level control room (phone numbers 88720-90029/0171-2920074) to response to any complaint or crisis.
Presiding over a high-level meeting to review the arrangements to combat any exigency arising out of COVID-19, the Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary Health to immediately issue an advisory to educate people about the symptoms and precautions to be taken in view of the virus threat.
He also asked the Chief Secretary to direct the Deputy Commissioners to instruct the field staff in their respective districts to assist the health department in its mass awareness campaign.
The Deputy Commissioners would take active steps to avert a panic situation and to build confidence among the people.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu informed the Chief Minister that at present there were total 5,795 persons in the state with travel history to affected countries.
The situation, however, was under control, and the department was fully geared to tackle any exigency, said Sidhu, urging people not to panic.
Briefing the Chief Minister about the preparedness, Principal Secretary Health Anurag Aggarwal said the department has already designated state nodal officer as the Surveillance Officer, with district nodal officers also in place to manage the situation.
He said 22 district hospitals and three government medical colleges have been identified to deal with any emergency.
Isolation wards with a bed strength of 649 have also been set up in these hospitals, and 24 ventilators have been made available, of which 14 were in district hospitals and 10 in government medical colleges.
The Amritsar and Mohali international airports have sounded an alert, with advisories prominently displayed for information of passengers.
Similarly, screening of passengers has also been started at Wagah and Attari border check-post in Amritsar and Dera Baba Nanak check post at Gurdaspur respectively.
Non-contact thermometers have also been made available for screening of passengers at these check posts, besides displaying advisories.
As per the information, 70,106 passengers have so far been screened at the airports and border check posts. These included 47,671 at the Amritsar airport, 4,943 at the Mohali airport, 5,401 at Amritsar Wagah and Attari border check-posts and 12,091 at the Dera Baba Nanak check post.
( With inputs from IANS )