Naveen Patnaik cautions people about possible second wave of COVID-19 in Odisha

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], November 5 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday cautioned the people of the state about the possible second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and urged them to abide by the guidelines to prevent such a situation as the winter season comes close.
Reviewing the coronavirus situation here, Patnaik appealed to the people: "As the second phase of COVID infection in Odisha is expected in the second week of December, we will have to be more vigilant now and to avoid the situation we need to strictly adhere the guidelines such as wearing the mask, maintaining social distance and washing our hands."
"This is the best way to avoid a difficult situation like lockdown," he added.
Citing examples of Kerala and Delhi, Patnaik urged the people to celebrate Diwali by maintaining similar discipline and restraint.
The Chief Minister also directed the officials to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary steps during the festival season and asked the district observers to visit the district to monitor the Diwali curfew and the district magistrate and SPs to strictly implement the curfew.
Ahead of Diwali, the state government has already announced the ban on the sale and use of firecrackers from November 10 to 30.
Emphasising the post-COVID-19 health complications of the recovered patients, Patnaik further directed the Health Department to monitor the situation and develop appropriate protocols and train doctors and health workers.