Nagpur: District administrations seek influential persons’ help to contain Covid-19 spread | Nagpur News – Times of India

NAGPUR: In order to curb sudden surge of Covid-19 cases, the district administrations of Nagpur, Akola and Yavatmal have decided to approach all influential personalities of society and urge them to convince people to stay away from crowded events.
In Nagpur, district collector, civil surgeon, district health officer and divisional deputy director (health services) have issued a joint appeal addressed to local corporators, party functionaries, MLAs, MLCs and all others who are influential in their respective areas urging them to use their local influence and convince people to abstain crowd.

“You have many workers who take your words as commands. You can include them in this campaign and start appealing people to avoid crowd, follow Covid-related norms and get themselves tested as soon as they develop any symptoms,” reads the letter, copies of which are being circulated to all public representatives as well as local political functionaries of all parties.
Interestingly, political functionaries are blamed for not following the Covid restrictions themselves in their events, rallies and processions.
In Akola, district collector Jitendra Papalkar conducted a meeting with religious functionaries.
“Religious personalities have a place of honour in society. People listen to what they say. They have influence in the masses. I appealed them to use this effect to create awareness among the masses,” Papalkar said.
The health administration in Akola appealed religious gurus to protect places of worship and ban entry to devotees coming without masks. “We also expect that they should encourage people to follow the preventive measures and use the loudspeakers at religious places to provide information to people,” Akola Municipal Corporation’s medical officer Dr Farukh Sheikh said.
In Yavatmal, district collector M Devendra Singh took streets on Friday night and especially stopped those riding bikes and driving cars in full speed without wearing masks. “The collector along with his team, stood at the bus station square and stopped those bullies who ride bikes in full speed. He also stopped some cars, fined the drivers and also handed over masks to them,” said a senior official.
The move of making bullies to wear masks by stopping them in public is unique and it may influence others to wear masks. Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati are going to observe a 24-hours weekend shutdown on Sunday. Adding to it, such unique steps taken by the district collectors will also play important role in controlling the spread.