Chhattisgarh Health minister 'not invited' for state govt meet on Coronavirus preparedness

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo on Friday said that the Chief Minister's Office should have ensured that he attended the meeting called on the coronavirus crisis. This comes after Deo was not invited for a meeting on coronavirus pandemic at the residence of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on March 12.

Speaking to the media Deo said, "Maybe the meeting was called in haste, but I think the Chief Minister's Office should have made sure that the health minister attended it."

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Schools & Colleges shut till March 31

In the meeting, Baghel had reviewed the measures and preparations to tackle the spread of coronavirus in the state and directed several departments to take immediate actions for the same. A decision to close all schools and colleges in the state till March 31 was taken in the meeting, in line with the advisory issued by the central government.

The government also announced the shutdown of public libraries, gyms, swimming pools, water parks, and Aanganwadis till March 31. However, the schools and colleges where examinations are going on are said to remain open as per the official statements from the state's School Education and Higher Education departments. The Health Department has also been directed to keep a close watch on the situation and raise awareness on Coronavirus.

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Coronavirus in India

As of date, the total number of positive cases in India has soared up to over 83 as per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Along with it, two deaths have been reported in Kalaburagi and West Delhi respectively. India has suspended all visas, barring for a few categories such as diplomatic and employment apart from keeping in abeyance the visa-free travel facility to OCI cardholders till April 15. Moreover, the Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad. The government is also monitoring all suspected cases and issued preventive advisories. 

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The Coronavirus crisis

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel coronavirus has affected nearly 123 countries in the world. Presently, there are over 1,36,895 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of 5,077 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus.

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(with ANI inputs)