Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, March 16
The Bihar government has decided to ban Holi milan programme and mass gathering during the festival of colour in wake of spurt in the Corona cases.
The crisis management group met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Arun Kumar on Tuesday and decided to strengthen Corona control measures in both urban and rural areas. The District Magistrates and SPs have been directed to ensure enforcement of the directions avoiding Holi Milan and mass celebration of the festival.
Civil Surgeons have been asked by the health department not to permit Holi festivities gatherings, health minister,Mangal Pandey said.
Masks are made compulsory and those found moving in public places without covers would be fined under the disaster management Act. According to the minister, in last 24 hours, 347 fresh Corona active cases have been detected in the state.
Government is likely to order re-closure of schools from March 22 that started academic activities in the first week of March.
State government decided to reopen the quarantine centres in blocks and panchayats which were closed last July. All migrants returning to their villages for the Holi festival will be put in these quarantine centres. Hotel Patliputra here has been identified as the quarantine centre for the suspected Corona positive patients arriving in Patna. Isolation centres will be opened in the rural areas, where anganwadi sahayaks have been directed to keep watch on those returning from outside the state during Holi.
In Patna district, 56 containment zones have been identified at Kankarbagh Colony, Khajpura, Rajendra Nagar, Rupaspur, Digha, Raja Bazar, Saguna More, Adarsh Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Patrakarnagar, Gardanibagh, Boring Road, Samanpura, Sultanganj, Phulwarisharif, Khagaul, Masaurhi, Paliganj, Naubatpur and Baktriarpur, according to District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh.
State government has asked the civil surgeons to arrange Oxygen cylinders in all health centres and hospitals immediately. For every four houses in Patna, micro containment zone would be created, DM said
All those returning from Maharashtra, Kerala and Punjab will be screened at airports, railway stations and bus stands by the health department and disaster management staff and those found having positive symptoms would be sent to the nearest quarantine centres. Today, five railway passengers who had de-trained at Gaya were found Corona positive and sent to the nearest health centre. They had returned from Mumbai, according to the DM, Abhisekh Singh.
