Assam Chief Minister SarbanandaSonowal on Sunday said the threat of COVID-19 is not over and appealed to the people of the state to make the third phase of the lockdown a success.Addressing a press conference here, Sonowal urged the people of the state to make the third phase of the lockdown successful like the first two phases."Though the state government will allow relaxations for certain sectors from May 4 following the guidelines by the Centre to restart economic activities, people must not be complacent as the threat of COVID-19 is not over," he added.The Centre has extended the lockdown by two weeks from May 4.Sonowal underlined the importance of maintaining social distancing norms, wearing of face masks, frequent hand washing and observing cleanliness as absolute necessity during the lockdown period and beyond to overcome the challenge posed by the pandemic.Sonowal urged the people to support and motivate all those working at the frontline in this fight against COVID-19 as their dedicated service will be required in this long battle."Emergency and essential service providers are the real warriors and they must be appreciated for their services," he added.When asked about the impact of the lockdown on the state's economy, Sonowal said the government has constituted an eight-member economic advisory committee, led by retired bureaucrat Subhash Das, to provide recommendations to bring the state's economy back on track through systematic interventions.On academic losses to the student community, the chief minister said he had held a telephonic conference with 2,645 professors and associate professors of 11 universities this morning and sought their opinions regarding the prevailing situation.He called on the university teachers to devise a strategy to teach those students in rural areas, who do not have access to internet connection or smartphones while at the same time maintaining social distancing norms.
