CS cautions against sharing unverified COVID-19 news

SHILLONG: Chief Secretary, MS Rao, on Wednesday exhorted people to be cautious while sharing any COVID-19-related information on social media by cross-checking facts so as to avoid any misinformation which can create panic among people.
Rao was speaking as the chief guest at the inauguration of the two-day ‘Master Training of Trainers for Meghalaya’ on Wednesday for government departments. The programme laid emphasis on ‘Behaviour Change for COVID-19’.
Rao said the state has done very well in containing the spread of COVID-19, adding that Meghalaya is one of the states with the least number of active cases.
The chief secretary also acknowledged the role played by various departments, headmen and the community for their cooperation and support to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Emphasising on the need to get rid of the fear and stigmatisation of people affected by the virus, the chief secretary appealed to the people to empathise with the affected.
Expressing hope that the master trainers will be able to reach out to everyone, Rao urged all to strictly adhere to the health protocols.
The programme was also attended by the Commissioner and Secretary, Health department, Sampath Kumar and DHS (MI), Dr A Warr, among others.
An introduction to COVID-19, current status of the situation at global and national levels, how to cope with life in COVID times, some common myths, taking care at home and frequently asked questions (FAQs), taking care in the workplace, behavioral change model to live with COVID-19 and introduction to the training mobile application were some of the topics discussed during the technical sessions.