Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan announces state lockdown till 31 March

Amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Andhra Pradesh too has joined the list of states that have announced a lockdown. Speaking at a press meeting on Sunday, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced that state will be under lockdown till 31 March.

The CM stated that the state has reported six positive cases of coronavirus so far, with one patient being discharged. He further noted that the situation in Andhra Pradesh is currently better as compared to that in other states. Mentioning that isolation and social distancing are critical practices in fighting coronavirus, Mr. Reddy said that people should restrict their movement. Informing that the state will be confining its borders, the CM said that public transport services within state and inter-state would be shut, unless in emergency situations. He further requested foreign returnees to remain under strict quarantine.

“In a bid to overcome the current health crisis, we are moving towards a complete lockdown. I request everyone to stay at home until 31 March. The government will also be working with skeletal staff on shift-basis. To contain the spread, I request the citizens not to congregate in sums of more than ten. We will soon be issuing prohibitory orders in this regard. Essential services like food, water, milk, meat, electricity, telecom, food delivery, and other essential services will be available. I also warn of extremely strict action against sellers who hike prices to cash in the situation,” the Chief Minister said.

“There’s no need to panic. The recovery rate in cases of coronavirus is high. However, at the same time, fears will arise if we don’t follow the prescribed precautions,” he further added.

Government employees to work in rotation during the lockdown in Andhra Pradesh:

The Andhra Pradesh State Government has taken a key decision in the wake of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) issue. The State Secretariat is likely to implement a work-from-home approach. Additionally, government officials will also be following a shift basis work schedule. The policy will be effective from 23 March 2020. If one team comes to work for a week, the second team has the flexibility to come to work the following week. The visitors to Government offices will be restricted and will not be allowed unless there is an urgency.

At the State Secretariat, the higher-level officers will be attending duties on a regular basis. Employees attending work during the week are broken down into groups. One group at 9.30 AM, the second group at 10 AM and the third group at 10.30 AM. The government will also be taking all the precautionary measures to ensure there is no overcrowding.

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