Lockdown with certain restrictions: Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has explained the effective implementation of lockdown with human touch in the State to check the pandemic and said any decision by the Centre would be fully endorsed but at the same time opined that the wheel of economy should keep moving irrespective of its pace.

Participating in the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday he listed out the measures being taken by State, and said, of the 676 mandals, 27 mandal are declared as red zones and 44 as orange zones.

Effective steps are being taken under Centre guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19. The State has identified 141 containment clusters.

We have screened 1.4 crore people and a workforce of 2,61, 216 village and ward volunteers, 40,000 Asha workers, 20, 200 ANMs is constantly monitoring situation at field level in identifying the COVID-19 cases.

About 3000 medical staff are providing services. The State has set up one COVID-19 hospital in each of the 13 districts besides isolation centers with 26,000 beds, the Chief Minister told the Prime Minister.

Besides four dedicated four hospitals for COVID-19, the State will also set up 78 hospitals.

As the economic activity should go on, we are of the opinion to implement lockdown in red zones and provide a helping hand to farmers who have to sell their rabi crop, he said.

Agricultural and allied fields like aqua culture and horticulture are being badly affected with farmers unable to sell the Rabi crop as transport has come to a halt. Godowns are full and storage is a problem.

On the industrial front, fixed costs would be a burden. Of the 1.04 lakh units only 7, 250 units are functioning. Daily wage earners, farm hands people from the unorganized sector are badly hit by lockdown.

However, at this hour we have to stand united in the fight against COVID-19 and we will follow your strategy and guidelines, he said.