L J Ravi Health Department Urges Public to Stay Indoors This Ugadi to break the COVID-19 Chain In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka has urged the people of the State to stay indoors especially this Ugadi, as the government ramps up its efforts against the growing pandemic. “As you are aware, there is no vaccination available for COVID-19 currently, and we need to take every precaution to ensure that the disease does not spread due to our negligent behaviour. We urge you to remain indoors as far as possible and assist us to break the chain. Your actions will help us greatly in our fight against COVID-19. The Government has taken several initiatives to create awareness about the disease and is propagating social distancing which is the only way we can arrest the spread of the virus. We have reached out to people across the state through regular media bulletins and several health advisories. The Government has is also reaching out to people through social media platforms and is probably the first State Government in the country to propagate the message through social media platform Tik-Tok in order to reach out to the masses” said Jawaid Akthar, IAS. Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka. “Avoid travelling unless it is absolutely necessary. In case you develop symptoms of COVID19 after traveling, like fever, cough and cold, seek medical care immediately. If you have any underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases, please avoid crowded places and stay indoors. Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider. Wash your hands frequently with soap. Regularly washing your hands will offer more protection than wearing rubber gloves. Remember that the virus can be passed by touching nose, eyes and mouth and by shaking hands so avoid touching face, eyes, nose and mouth. When sneezing and coughing cover nose and mouth with your elbow or tissue. Discard tissue immediately after use into a closed bin. Ensure that hand sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol are used as an alternative when water and soap is not available. To avoid spreading rumours, stay updated from credible sources” he added “While the Government wishes all the people of the State on the occasion of Ugadi, we urge you to celebrate at your homes and refrain from coming outdoors. We are confident that with your continued support, we will be able to overcome this hurdle and continue our lives normally at the earliest. The Health Department, Government of Karnataka constantly posts updated information which is credible on its social media handles. We request the public to follow our facebook, twitter and tik-tok handles for updates and safety messages, Jawaid Akthar said.
