ranchi the state health department is planning to conduct random maskchecking drives and maintain a strict vigil in areas that are likely to record a high footfall of pandalhoppers during durga puja next week to prevent a surge in covid19 cases during and after the festive seasonthe department has also planned extensive screening of migrants at all entry and exit points of the state although the state government has banned congregations and pandalhopping this year the health department officials are apparently fearing massive crowds in pandalstalking to toi state epidemiologist dr praveen karn said we have almost finalised our protocols for the upcoming festive season and they will be in sync with the directions received from the union health ministry we are going to be extremely cautious as the next 100 days will be critical and districts have been asked to maintain a constant vigil to prevent any further spread of the virusa senior state health department official said that if anyone is found violating covidappropriate behaviour during the checking drive heshe will be penalised as a precautionary measure the testing capacity at all entry points has been intensified as migration is expected to go up during the festive period the department has deployed mobile testing vans as well as static centres at all major junctions like tatanagar ranchi chakradharpur bokaro and dhanbad railways stations to screen passengers entering the state currently we are receiving around 3500 samples on a daily basis from these centres and it is expected to increase in the days to come even testing at airports as well as those entering the state via roads is also being done an official saidasked if the state will allow any kind of congregations during the puja dr karn said that the disaster management departments july 31 order will be implemented across jharkhand at the most the local administration can allow a small number of people to assemble but thatll only be done by keeping the goi guidelines in mind which state that areas with a positivity rate of less than 5 can have small gatherings he addedaccording to a directive by the union health ministry districts with a positivity rate of 10 or more in a span of seven days and with a 60 bed occupancy in hospitals be it oxygensupported or in the intensive care unit need to enforce covidcontrol measures the states have been directed to enforce restrictions for at least 14 days at districts which cross the threshold limit during the festive season