Coronavirus: UP CM Yogi Adityanath Says Real Test Will Begin When The Lockdown Is Relaxed

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that state authorities cannot let down guard if and after the nationwide lock down ends on 15 April.

Adityanath interacted with MPs and ministers in Uttar Pradesh through videoconferencing and appealed to them to ensure that the common man standing on the last rung gets benefits of the state government’s schemes, The Hindu reported.

He has requested religious leaders of Agra to cooperate with the district authorities across the state.

He said the religious representatives must ask people in their respective communities to cooperate with the state authorities. There have been reports of incidents from different parts of the country of Jamaatis (who have returned from the congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area) misbehaving with the staff at the different quarantine facilities.

Adityanath asked the religious leaders to ensure that people do not resort to such methods.

The CM has said that the responsibility of religious leaders will not end after the relaxation in the lockdown. To ensure that people don't gather and continue to main social distancing, ‘dharma gurus’ will have to play their role, he said.

Adityanath was speaking during a video conferencing session with religious representatives in Agra. He appealed to them to spread awareness on Coronavirus in their communities.

Adityanath clarified that the real test of the state authorities will begin after the relaxation in the lockdown, when people are more likely to come out of homes.

Expressing concerns on the anticipated impact this could have on the hard work put in by the authorities towards mitigating the virus, Adityanath said that spreading awareness was the need of the hour.

He added that spreading awareness will help in discouraging people from collecting on roads immediately after the lockdown relaxes.

Some of the pointed measures that Adityanath has taken to mitigate and fight the spread of Covid 19, besides being active on ground in the state are: forming a triple layer medical system. This means that every district will see three levels of hospitals dedicated to care against Covid-19.

He has made a Covid Care Fund — to equip the state for the long fight. The fund will be used for increasing the number of testing labs in medical colleges in the state, for increasing the number of quarantine and isolation wards, for the making of personal protection equipment (PPE), N95 masks and ventilators.

Then, he pushed for sending the amount of Rs 1,000 to the accounts of daily workers and MGNREGA workers. He has arranged for the lodging and food needs for people of the migrant workforce, tightening the administrative work in districts.

Adityanath has also asked the district authorities to be prepared for any emergency arising from the Covid-19 situation.