Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday said Himachal Pradesh is poised to soon emerge as Coronavirus free state of the country owing to collective efforts of government and the general public as only 2 active cases are left in the state.

After a meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Medical Officers, he said it becomes all the more important that strict vigil must be maintained on each and every person visiting the state.

Thakur directed the government officers to ensure that the persons visiting the state from other parts of the country must follow strict quarantine norms while in-home quarantine.

“The persons coming home particularly from red or orange zone must ensure that while remaining in-home quarantine, they maintain social distancing even with their family members.

Besides, downloading of Aarogya Setu app must be mandatory for the people entering the state,” he added.

He said that it would be the responsibility of the elected representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Urban Local Bodies to ensure that the person entering their village do not jump quarantine.

Thakur said the state government was ensuring that all possible help be provided to the people of the state stranded in other parts of the country.

It also becomes their moral responsibility to strictly follow the guidelines of the state government and cooperate with the government for strictly adhering to home quarantine norms.

Chief Minister said as many as 1314 persons stranded in Tri-City of Chandigarh area were brought back to the state in 51 buses which include 609 people of Kangra district, 335 people of Hamirpur district, 132 people of Una district and 238 people of Chamba district.

“It is the largest movement of stranded people of HP for bringing them back safely to the state. More such people of the other districts stranded in the Tri-City would be brought back tomorrow.

All these persons would be medically examined for any ILI symptoms and only thereafter kept in-home quarantine,” he said.

Chief Minister said economic activities, particularly in the green zones, have been started and special thrust was being laid on providing smooth movement of essential commodities and farming equipment.

Since shops were allowed to open with few exceptions during the curfew hours, it must be ensured that effective social distancing is maintained and everyone uses face masks and sanitizer, he added.

Chief Secretary Anil Khachi said that people arriving from other states must be allowed to go to their respective destinations for home quarantine only after properly recording their complete travel and contact history.

Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police SR Mardi, Additional Chief Secretaries Manoj Kumar and RD Dhiman, Principal Secretary Onkar Sharma were also present in the meeting.