As of April 26, Rajasthan has 2,083 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (fifth highest in the country), of which 493 have recovered and 33 have died.  On March 18, the Rajasthan government had declared a till March 31, to check the spread of the disease.  A nation-wide lockdown has also been in place and is currently, .  The state has announced several policy decisions to prevent the spread of the virus and provide relief for those affected by it.  This blog summarises the key policy measures taken by the Government of Rajasthan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early measures for containment

Between late January and early February, Rajasthan Government’s measures were aimed towards , and of passenger arrivals from China.  Instructions were also issued to district health officials for various related activities, such as (i) mandatory 28-day home isolation for all travellers from China, (ii) running awareness campaigns, and (iii) ensuring adequate supplies of Personal Protection Equipments (PPEs).  Some of the other measures, taken prior to the state-wide lockdown, are summarised below:

Administrative measures

• The government announced the formation of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), at the and at  on March 3 and 5, respectively.

• The District Collector was appointed as the for all COVID-19 containment activities.  were to be opened at all Sub-divisional offices.  The concerned officers were also directed to strengthen information dissemination mechanisms and tackle the menace of fake news.

• Directives were issued on March 11 to rural health workers/officials to report for .  Further, government departments were  between March 22 and March 31.  Only essential departments such as Health Services were allowed to function on a rotation basis at 50% capacity and special / emergency leaves were permitted. 

Travel and Movement

• Air travellers were to undergo and were also required to provide an undertaking for the same.  Besides, those violating the mandated isolation/quarantine were liable to be of the Indian Penal Code.  Penalties are imposed under this section on persons for the willful violation of orders that have been duly passed by a public servant. 

• All institutions and establishments, such as (i) , (ii) , (iii) etc, (iv) , were directed to be shut down till March 31. 

• The daily at the Chief Minister’s residence was cancelled until further notice.  Various government offices were directed to and exams of schools and colleges were postponed.

• On March 24, the government issued a on the movement of private vehicles till March 31.

Health Measures

• Advisories regarding prevention and control measures were issued to: (i) , regarding sample collection and transportation, hotels, and preparedness of hospitals, (ii) , to stop using breath analysers, (iii) , regarding preparedness and monitoring activities, and (iv) , to disinfect their premises with chemicals. 

• The government issued Standard Operating Procedures for conducting in emergency response handling of COVID-19 cases.  Training and capacity building measures were also initiated for (i) and (ii) , through video conferencing. 

• A model of COVID was released.  Key features of the plan include: (i) identification and mapping of affected areas, (ii) activities for prevention control, surveillance, and contact tracing, (iii) human resource management, including roles and responsibilities, (iv) various infrastructural and logistical support, such as hospitals, labs etc, and (v) communication and data management.

• Resource Management: Private hospitals and medical colleges were instructed to for COVID-19 patients.  They were also instructed to from the departments of Preventive and Social Medicine to conduct health education and awareness activities. 

• Over 6000 Students of were employed in assisting the health department to conduct screening activities being conducted at public places, railways stations, bus stands etc.

• Further, the government issued guidelines to ensure the .

Welfare Measures

• The government announced financial assistance, in the form of , to health professionals engaged in treating COVID-19 patients.

• Steps were also taken by the government to ensure for February and March. 

• The government also initiated the replacement of the biometric authentication with an via the Public Distribution System (PDS). 

During the lockdown

State-wide curfew announced on March 18 has been followed by a nation-wide lockdown between March 25 and May 3. However, certain have been recommended by the state government from April 21 onwards.  Some of the key measures undertaken during the lockdown period are: 

Administrative Measures

• Advisory groups and task forces were set up on – (i) , (ii) , and (iii) .  These groups will provide advice on the way forward for (i) prevention and containment activities, (ii) post-lockdown strategies and strategies to revive the economy, and (iii) to address the challenges facing the higher education sector respectively. 

• of retiring medical and paramedical professionals retiring between March and August have been extended till September 2020. 

Essential Goods and Services

• A was set up at the Rajasthan Pharmacy Council.  This is to ensure uninterrupted supply of medicines during the lockdown and will also assist in facilitating home delivery of medicines.

• The government permitted to sell products such as masalas, sanitisers, and hygiene products, in addition to food grains.

• were declared as secondary markets to facilitate farmers to sell their produce near their own fields/villages during the lockdown. 

• A was also set up for complaints regarding hoarding, black marketing, and overpricing.

Travel and Movement

• Once lockdown was in place, the government issued instructions to identify, screen, and categorise who have travelled to Rajasthan.  They were to be categorised into: (i) people displaying symptoms to be put in isolation wards, (ii) people over 60 years of age with symptoms and co-morbidities to be put in quarantine centres, and (iii) asymptomatic people to be home quarantined.

• On March 28, the government announced the to transport people during the lockdown.  Further, were allowed to return to their respective states. 

• On April 2, a and a were launched to help stranded foreign tourists and NRIs.

• On April 11, an was launched for movement of people and vehicles. 

Health Measures

• To identify COVID-19 patients, district officials were instructed to monitor or other breathing difficulties coming into hospital OPDs.  Pharmacists were also instructed for cold/cough without prescriptions. 

• A mobile app – – was developed by the government for tracking of quarantined people.  Quarantined persons are required to send their selfie clicks at regular intervals, failing which a notification would be sent by the app.  The app also provides a lot of information on COVID-19, such as the number of cases, and press releases by the government.

• Due to the lockdown, people had restricted access to hospitals and treatment.  Thus, instructions were issued to utilise Mobile Medical Vans for and also as . ;

• On April 20, a for prevention and control of COVID-19 was released.  The report recommended: (i) preparation of a containment plan, (ii) formation of RRTs, (iii) testing protocols, (iv) setting up of control room and helpline, (v) designated quarantine centres and COVID-19 hospitals, (vi) roles and responsibilities, and (vii) other logistics. 

Welfare Measures

• The government issued instructions to make medicines available free of cost to senior citizens and other patients with chronic illnesses through the Chief Minister’s .  

• Rs 60 crore was allotted to to purchase PPEs and for other prevention activities. 

• A one-time to over 15 lakh construction workers was announced.  Similar cash transfer of Rs 1000 was announced for during the lockdown, particularly those people with no social security benefits.  Eligible families would be selected through the Aadhaar database.  Further, an additional to needy eligible families from different categories was announced.

• The state also announced an aid of Rs 50 lakh to the families of who lose their lives due to COVID-19.

• To maintain social distancing, the government will conduct a of ration to select beneficiaries in rural areas of the state.  The government also announced the distribution of for April, May, and June, under the National Food Security Act, 2013.  Ration will also be distributed to stranded , living in the state.

• The government announced  in tie-up with farming equipment manufacturers to assist economically weak small & marginal farmers.

Other Measures

• Education: was launched to connect students and teachers online during the lockdown.  Study material would be sent through specially formed Whatsapp groups.  For each subject, 30-40 minute content videos have been prepared by the Education Department.

• Industry:  On April 18, were issued for industries and enterprises to resume operations from April 20 onwards.  Industries located in rural areas or export units / SEZs in municipal areas where accommodation facilities for workers are present, are allowed to function.  Factories have been permitted to from 8 hours to 12 hours per day, to reduce the requirement of workers in factories.  This exemption has been allowed for the next three months for factories operating at 60% to 65% of manpower capacity.

For more information on the spread of COVID-19 and the central and state government response to the pandemic, please see here.