Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Government has decided to augment its continuing efforts at various levels to contain the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
The meetings of the president/chairpersons of local self-government bodies at the district level would be convened to discuss the steps to be undertaken to check the further spread of the disease.
The meetings of the elected heads of the local bodies will be convened by the minister in-charge of the respective district. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting the other day.
Local Self-Government Minister M V Govindan directed that each local body should review the Covid situation in their respective areas once in a week. The meetings of the ward-level Vigilance Committees, locally known as jagratha samithis, should take place once in a week.
In "C" category districts, the ward-level should meet twice a week and review the situation, the minister said.
Immediate steps should be taken to put in place the required facilities particularly in Primary Health Centres (PHCs), COVID First-Line Treatment Centres (CFLTCs) and District Development Council (DDCs).
PHCs will be started at the district level under the chairmanship of the ministers. Direction will be issued to set up community kitchens and provide food packets at the houses of COVID-19 patients.
The information related to the CFLTCs should be conveyed to the people through the ward-level jagratha samithi.
The elected representatives should take the initiative to help the families of people who died due to COVID-19 to get the compensation. The local bodies which have not revived the COVID-19 war room and constituted rapid response teams so far should do it immediately.
The chief minister has stated that the government would intervene in resolving the issues raised by the local bodies.
