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‘Impact of second Covid wave in Rajasthan negligible, but...’: Ashok Gehlot
“The impact of the second wave of Covid in the state has now become negligible. But in view of the increasing infections of Covid in different countries and many states of the country, we still have to be vigilant and follow the Covid guidelines continuously,” Gehlot's tweet, roughly translated from Hindi, read.
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Saturday that the impact of the second wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in the state has become negligible and urged people to keep following all norms amid the rising infections elsewhere. “The impact of the second wave of Covid in the state has now become negligible. But in view of the increasing infections of Covid in different countries and many states of the country, we still have to be vigilant and follow the Covid guidelines continuously,” Gehlot's tweet, roughly translated from Hindi, read.
Gehlot on Saturday was reviewing Rajasthan’s Covid-19 situation and the vaccination campaign against the viral disease. Gehlot quoted medical experts who expressed fears that the effect of the third wave of the pandemic might be seen in the coming months due to the situation in different states and countries, according to news agency PTI. He added that all related departments in the state, including health, should make sure that they have proper arrangements to deal with any crisis.
The Rajasthan chief minister also instructed that the committee of ministers, constituted with regard to the reopening of educational institutions in the state, should take appropriate decisions in view of the Covid-19 crisis in other states. Gehlot said that the committee should take into consideration the experiences of other states which have allowed educational institutions to reopen.
In July, state education minister Govind Singh Dotasra announced that schools and educational institutions in Rajasthan would reopen from August 2. However, he later tweeted, “Chief minister Gehlot will decide on the opening of the schools after discussing all aspects with the cabinet committee constituted to prepare the detailed SOP.”
People familiar with the matter told PTI that Gehlot questioned the education minister over this announcement of the date for reopening schools even when no decision was taken about it during the cabinet meeting on July 22.
Rajasthan on Saturday recorded 19 more cases of the coronavirus disease while no fresh deaths were reported. The state’s death toll stands at 8,954. Nearly 945,000 patients have recovered so far from Covid-19 and active cases stand at 237. The health department’s bulletin said 25 of 33 districts of the state did not see any new cases.
Authorities in Rajasthan have administered 34,620,726 vaccine doses to those eligible and of which 26,474,741 people have received the first dose and the remaining 8,145,985 have been inoculated with both doses. Chief minister Gehlot said on Saturday vaccination is being done with full enthusiasm, adding that the health department should continue to vaccinate as many people as possible.
(With PTI inputs)
