As Himachal Pradesh recorded over 15,000 coronavirus cases in November alone, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday announced new restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus in the state.

After a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Chief Medical Officers, Principals and Medical Superintendents of Medical Colleges, Thakur directed to take effective steps to increase the bed capacities in their respective districts.

He expressed concern over the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases as well as deaths of Covid-19 patients in the state and said the casual approach of the people particularly in social gatherings such as marriages has resulted in a sharp rise in Corona cases.

“The state government has now decided to restrict the number of persons on all the social gatherings to 50 persons.”

“Besides, all the political functions will be held virtually and restriction on numbers would be implemented in letter and spirit in such functions too,” he added.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has decided to enforce five days working in offices while the sixth day will be work from home for all the government employees till 31 December to break the chain of this virus.

Besides, the state government will also consider imposing curfew from 9 pm to 6 am in the four districts of Shimla, Mandi, Kullu and Kangra and the Covid situation will be reviewed from time to time.

“In addition, the bed capacity for treating Covid patients will be increased in all districts, zonal and civil hospitals to facilitate patients and to meet out any eventuality.

All the prefabricated Covid Centres coming up in the state would be completed at the earliest and the Union government has sanctioned seven oxygen plants for the state,” he said, while directing DCs to identify land to set up these at the earliest.

Thakur further stated that to ensure proper and effective management of hospitals, the government had also decided to make foolproof arrangements in hospitals by designating a senior official as in-charge of Covid ward for better treatment of the patients.

He also directed the DCs to rope in private hospitals and laboratories for testing and treatment of Covid patients.

He directed for adopting proper protocol for treatment of the asymptotic patients under home isolation and said such patients must be provided all required inputs for their proper medication.

Adequate arrangements of pulse oxymeter must be made for these patients so that they could regularly monitor oxygen level in blood, he said.

“It has been felt that the change in climate was also resulting in the fast spread of this virus. The senior doctors must ensure at least three rounds of the wards of covid-19 patient to instill confidence in the patients.

The shortage of staff particularly in health institutions with more cases of Covid-19 patients would be met out by deploying adequate staff and adequate para medical staff will be made available to facilitate fast testing and tracing,” he added.

He asked the officers to check the tendency of lax attitude of people in following Covid guidelines and take remedial measures in this regard by enforcing the instructions of the government issued from time to time.