Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the Union Territory and directed district administrations to strengthen preparedness as well as provide all assistance to healthcare teams, an official spokesman said.
Sinha also said that Covid war rooms must be activated immediately and called for ensuring that all helplines are functional.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded 687 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday, taking the infection count to 3,44,652, while three deaths linked to the disease were reported in the Union Territory in the past 24 hours. The new fatalities raised the death toll to 4,540.
Reviewing the COVID-19 situation at a meeting with members of the COVID Task Force, deputy commissioners and senior superintendents of police here, the lieutenant governor (L-G) said “we should be fully prepared to tackle the surge in cases”.
The L-G issued directions for activating Covid war rooms immediately, besides ensuring effective functionality of helplines and keeping joint enforcement teams on the job, the spokesman said.
He said Sinha also instructed nodal officers to ensure smooth coordination in providing Covid kits and other assistance to people in need.
“Existing decentralised system at the panchayat level should be made functional for immediate medical attention,” the L-G said.
Directions were issued to divisional and district administrations for optimum utilisation of testing capacity, not allow crowding at public places and declare areas registering high number of cases as micro-containment zones and hot spots, the spokesman said.
“Laxity in enforcement of Covid-appropriate behaviour will not be tolerated,” the L-G said.
Sinha also called for conducting information, education and communication campaigns at divisional and district levels to highlight threats of the coronavirus and encourage people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour.
“From tomorrow (Monday), we will start administering booster dose of (Covid) vaccine to the eligible population (healthcare and frontline workers, and those over 60 years of age with co-morbidities). Necessary arrangements should be made for walk-in and registered eligible population”: he directed officials.
Sinha also asked police personnel, healthcare workers and government employees to take all precautionary measures while serving the people.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, Vivek Bhardwaj, gave a detailed briefing on the district-wise analysis of the Covid situation and threat level, status of testing, contact tracing and vaccination across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir is in a better position as compared to other states and Union Territories in terms of vaccination, with 99 per cent coverage of second dose for the population above 18 years, the spokesman said.
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