BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday also warned the people of the state to remain careful and not develop complacency because of the decrease in the daily Covid-19 positive cases as there are chances of a rise in infections during the ensuing festival season and winter.
Addressing the people of the state two hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, he said one needs to be more watchful and alert during the Durga puja and Diwali as the character profile of coronavirus is very critical.
“Let us take a pledge before Maa to prevent the spread of infection. I request all not to crowd outside and worship Maa Durga in their houses. All should wear face masks, wash hands and maintain social distancing,” he said. Giving an example of Kerala which performed very well all along in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic, Naveen said the state witnessed a sudden rise in cases following the Onam festival.
The situation in the UK, France, Spain and other European countries had also improved after reaching the peak in March-April, but the highly infectious virus has again reared its ugly head. While the number of daily infections in the UK was more than 1,200 in September, it has now increased to 17,000 on October 18. Similarly, the number of positive cases in France on August 31 was 3,000 plus, he said and added it further increased to 26,000 on October 10.
Stating that India’s position is second in terms of Covid-19 cases after America, the Chief Minister said experts opine that the coronavirus is likely to take much critical form during the winter.
The Chief Minister said he understands the sacrifice made by people to fight against the pandemic. Referring to Ganjam and Gajapati districts where the coronavirus cases have substantially come down, Naveen said the region was a corona hotspot two months ago. However, the scenario has completely changed now due to people’s cooperation, community participation and hard work of the Covid warriors.
He said that a majority of people followed all guidelines by wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Some people, however, deviate and do not adhere to the norms, but they should try to understand the difficult situation.
Naveen said that Odisha has been able to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic during the last six months with cooperation from the people. The number of positive cases has gone down and will decrease further, he said and added while positive cases on September 26 was more than 4,000, now the number has fallen to less than 2,000. He called upon people not to relax till the State defeats the virus.