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Social distancing only tool to deal with COVID crisis: Nitish

Apr 17, 2020, 22:34 IST
PTI
Patna, Apr 17 () Observing that the entire mankind ispassing through a critical phase due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday stressed thatsocial distancing remains the lone effective means to dealwith the grave situation. Backing the decision to extend nationwide lockdown tillMay 3, Kumar said it was done in the interest of the societykeeping in mind the rising number of coronavirus cases.

He appealed to the people to remain alert and vigilantagainst the spread of the deadly virus. The total number of novel coronavirus cases in the countryreached 14,173 with 437 fatalities while Bihar has so farreported 83 positive patients and two virus related deaths. Considering the gravity of the epidemic, every individualneeds to be alert and vigilant and practice social distancing,which is the only effective measure to deal with it (COVID-19), Kumar said.

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Speaking about the steps taken by the state governmentto help distressed people in the hour of crisis, the chiefminister said Rs 1,000 is given as special assistance tolabourers and the needy persons stranded outside the statefollowing ongoing shutdown across the country.

The money is given from the chief minister's relief fund.

The special assistance amount has been transferred in thebank accounts of 10.11 lakh people so far, an official releasesaid.

The government is still receiving applications and theamount will be credited in their accounts soon after averification process, he said.

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Similarly, the state government which decided totransfer Rs 1000 to every ration card holding families in thestate has so far provided the amount to 94.85 lakh suchfamilies.

The remaining card holding families will also get the Rs1000 assistance soon, he added.

More than 50 relief camps are being run through BiharFoundation in 12 cities of nine states, including Delhi andMumbai, where people are being served food and ration packets,the CM said, adding a total of 7,66,920 people have beenbenefitted from it so far.

Families, which do not have ration cards, will beprovided the assistance with the help of Jeevika groups (womenself help groups), Kumar said.

Within Bihar, the state government is running 150disaster relief camps in different cities for the daily wageearners, cart vendors, rickshaw pullers etc. People areprovided food, accommodation and medical facilities at thesecentres, he said.

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Kumar urged people to cooperate in the door-to-doorscreening for the virus in the affected districts being doneon the lines of Pulse polio campaign to contain the spread ofcoronavirus. People having even little apprehension about infectionmust visit the testing centre, Kumar said and urged thecitizens not to hide their travel history. The chief minister appealed to the people to stay whereverthey are without getting disturbed as the state government ismaking every efforts to help them. ARSNS SNS

(This story has not been edited by www.businessinsider.in and is auto–generated from a syndicated feed we subscribe to.)
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