'Have to live with COVID-19, it cannot be eliminated': Andhra CM Jagan Reddy

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Saturday, stated that coronavirus cannot be eliminated, the world will have to live it and take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. The state government has also ordered for an increase in the isolation wards and medical facilities. 

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'Have to live with it' 

"Coronavirus cannot be eliminated and we have to accept the reality and get used to living with it by taking adequate precautions to prevent the infection. Despite the numerous measures taken, the reality is that we can't really contain the virus. People should be made aware that infected by coronavirus is not a sin or crime," Chief Minister's Office (CMO) quoted Reddy as saying.

The release further read, "Chief Minister emphasized on revamping the control measures as the public transportation through Railways and Airlines are soon going to be resumed. In regard to this, the officials informed that the bed strength in COVID-19 hospitals in eight districts Anantapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, and Visakhapatnam, are going to be increased along with advanced medical equipment. The Chief Minister told officials to fill up every single vacant post and speed up the recruitment process."

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Economic relief

On Friday, the state government released the first instalment of the Rs 1,100 crore ReStart package for Mirco, Small and Medium sector (MSME) enterprises. The state government released Rs 450 crore out of the total Rs 1,100 crore that was committed to the sector. 

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In a statement, the state government said that the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy released the amount despite the "deep financial crisis". It was done during a video conference with district collectors and entrepreneurs here. Earlier in the month, Jagan had announced the state will clear 50% of all pending industrial incentives of Rs 904 crore to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in two installments to encourage them to reopen their business affected due to the lockdown, clamped to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The second tranche of Rs 454 crore will be cleared on June 29.

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