E-Paper
'Behave as if there is a lockdown': Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot warns people as Covid-19 cases surge
On Sunday, chief minister Ashok Gehlot had said that the state government will be forced to impose strict measures if people neglect following Covid-19 protocols.
As the number of cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) show a huge increase, many state governments have taken strict measures and others have asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour. One such state is Rajasthan where chief minister Ashok Gehlot said it is necessary to take strict and effective steps similar to lockdown.
Gehlot chaired a meeting on Tuesday where he directed the officials to form strict guidelines to curb the spread of the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
The chief minister also appealed to the people to behave "as if there is a lockdown", saying the second wave of Covid-19 is more dangerous.
"The general public may suffer a bit from this, but saving lives is paramount," Gehlot said during a Covid-19 review meeting at his residence.
He also favoured extending the duration of the curfew in place, reducing the number of participants in marriages and other social functions, and cutting down the presence of people at workplaces and public transport.
"Given these suggestions, necessary guidelines should be prepared. It is necessary to take drastic steps," said Gehlot.
"People should understand its seriousness and behave in the same way like they did when the lockdown was imposed the first time," he added.
On Sunday, the chief minister had said that the state government will be forced to impose strict measures if people neglect following Covid-19 protocols. He said this time the danger of the infection is also visible in the villages and the mutant strain of the virus is more deadly than before.
Rajasthan reported 5,528 new Covid-19 cases and 28 fatalities on Tuesday, pushing the state's infection tally to 3,75,092 and the death toll to 2,979.
A total of 3,31,423 Covid-19 patients have recovered so far, and the number of active cases of the disease in the state stands at 40,690.
