Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has ordered that the time given for buying essential commodities in urban areas should be restricted from seven to five hours (6 a.m. to 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m.) to reduce the scope for large gatherings at rythu bazaars and grocery stores, further tightening the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People in villages can do their shopping from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy also instructed the officials to get the price list displayed prominently and to take stringent action on traders jacking up the prices.
He told the officials to focus on cities and towns where the danger still lurked, by deploying additional manpower. He said there should be no impediments for essential and emergency services and action plan be prepared to tackle the menace in potential hotspots.
Survey
Addressing a high-level review meeting on Sunday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said every family should be surveyed by ward and village volunteers, accredited social health activists and ANMs so that the government would be better positioned to deal with the situation.
He laid emphasis on the maintenance of social distance at all public gatherings, pointing out that it was the most effective way to keep the virus at bay.
Further, he suggested that mobile vegetable outlets be allowed, essentials transported in RTC buses and uninterrupted supply of farm inputs ensured.
He wanted the migrant labourers to be taken care of properly.
Ministers Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, Botcha Satyanarayana, Mekathoti Sucharitha and K. Kanna Babu, Chief Secretary Nilam Sawhney and special Chief Secretary (health) K.S. Jawahar Reddy were among those present.
Director General of Police Gautam Sawang informed the Chief Minister that integrated call centres were set up in all districts and top priority was attached to preventing the coronavirus from spreading in urban areas.
