NEW DELHI: Industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), has written to Chief Ministers of 25 states requesting them to avoid imposing partial or total lockdown in the wake of fresh surge in Covid cases. The letter has been written to CMs of 25 states and UTs including Delhi, Goa, Puducherry, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana, J&K, Odisha, Kerala, Gujarat, Assam, Tamil Nadu.

In the letter written to state Chief Ministers, by FICCI President Uday Shankar, the chamber has acknowledged the need to break the Covid chain but has suggested the strategy to focus more on ramping up covid testing, awareness drive and enforcement of Covid appropriate behavior rather than lockdown.

"The population may be sensitized about the Covid appropriate behavior like wearing masks, physical distancing and personal hygiene. Support may be taken by involving volunteers from the schools, colleges and NGOs. Strict compliance to Covid protocol may be ensured with suitable penalties for violations," the letter states.

The FICCI also argued that the economy has barely begun to turn around from the impact of the earlier lockdowns and such decisions now will push the economy into a downward spiral.

FICCI has represented to the Union Government to open up the vaccination for all the people above 18 years of age to give a massive push to the vaccination drive as there is no shortage of vaccines and the inoculation capacity can be increased with the participation of the private sector.

The state government will have to play a major role to encourage people to come forward for vaccination and build capacities with the help of private sector for the expected jump in inoculation, FICCI has urged states.

Vaccination camps in the colonies and societies with the help of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will also help push the vaccination drive, the letter added.

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