Tura, April 13: The Meghalaya Government has decided to activate the community Covid-19 management committees in the light of a sudden sharp spike in coronavirus cases in Meghalaya due to new variants and mutations of the SARS-COV-2 Virus, that was first detected in several countries across the world.

“This calls for an urgent attention on the part of every single person to take steps to contain the spread of this highly infectious COVID-19 virus. In view of this, the Sordars/Rangbah Shnong/Dollois/Nokmas/Locality & Village Headmen are requested to activate the Community COVID-19 Management Committees (CCMCs) and Behavioural Change Management Committees (BCMCs) that were formed last year,” announced P Sampath Kumar, Principal Secretary of Health in the Meghalaya Government.

He advised that frequent and regular meetings will require to be held by these committees at the community level. “Each committee is to chart an action plan to manage the spread of the second wave of the pandemic.

The CCMC and BCMC meetings are to focus on two key messages for community sensitization:

The importance of vaccination as the first line of protection is to be stressed upon. Messages are to be spread to sensitise people at community and local levels about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 virus,” said Kumar.

According to the top health bureaucrat, the focus is to be laid on how vaccination will help to lower the severity of the effects of COVID-19 virus and also decrease the chances of fatality.

“It is critical at this point of time to not be complacent and follow COVID appropriate behaviour which includes: Wearing a mask all the time in public spaces and maintaining respiratory etiquette, practicing hand hygiene by frequently sanitizing and washing hands and maintaining social distancing in public spaces,” advices Sampath Kumar.

The general public is hereby requested to be responsible and adhere to the behavioural change management protocols while upholding COVID appropriate behaviour, stated the advisory.

This can happen when every person treats themselves as an asymptomatic carrier of the COVID-19 virus and follows the three recommended health practices laid down by the State Health Department, mentions Kumar.

As a State, Kumar said that Meghalaya has performed well so far in tackling the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. And this has all been made possible through the active support of each and every person- the community in general and each and every person in particular who have, time and again, adhered to the health advisories issued from time to time.

“It is time now to again work together to contain this highly infectious variant of the COVID-19 virus and not become complacent. Few simple and responsible actions by everyone will go a long way in saving many lives,” urged Sampath Kumar.