Jammu and Kashmir: LG reviews Covid containment measures in a series of meetings  

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha made these remarks while chairing aseries of meetings with Covid Task Force, Deputy Commissioners and SPs at CivilSecretariat Jammu on Friday. 

The meetings were the latest in the series, where Lt Governor took a comprehensivereview of the Covid situation across J&K. 

The Lt Governor has been issuing directions from time to time to strengthen the effortsand undertake immediate interventions to tackle the ongoing COVID pandemic based onthe regular assessment of evolving situation and inputs from experts.

“With substantial addition of Medical Infrastructure and stabilizing positivity rate acrossthe UT, the way ahead is to minimize health risks through stringent regulations, CovidSOPs and maximize economic health and social security for people,” observed the Lt Governor. 

During the meeting, the Lt Governor sought feedback from Divisional Commissioners,IGPs, Deputy Commissioners, and SPs on Covid situation across the UT and directedthem to ensure the impactful enforcement of all Covid protocols in their respectivejurisdictions. 

Laying special emphasis on intensifying testing and vaccination, the Lt Governordirected the DCs and other concerned officers to make synergized efforts to augmentvaccination progress with focus on priority groups. 

Bank employees, Airport & Railwaystaff, shopkeepers, farmers, service providers would be vaccinated on priority. 

He alsocalled for ensuring Covid Testing facilities at the Sub-Centre level. 

While reviewing the district-wise status of vaccination drive, the Lt Governor expressedsatisfaction on being informed that Jammu, Ganderbal, and Shopian had achieved 100%saturation of 1st dose of vaccination for above 45 age group. 

The Lt Governor asked other DCs to make concerted efforts to achieve 100% saturationin their respective districts at the earliest.The chair was informed that Covid Care Centres have been activated in 80% Panchayatsof the UT.

 Emphasizing on proper utilization of CCCs, the Lt Governor called for effectivefunctioning of these centres through mobilization of resources. 

“Mere development of infrastructure is not going to serve any purpose. We have toensure that facilities are utilized to their optimum capacities to achieve the desiredresults on ground”, the Lt Governor maintained. 

“Ensure CCCs linkages with PHCs and other health centres, ample distribution of CovidKits, tele-medicines facilities, besides prioritizing functioning of centres established inthe peripheries. Speed up training of ASHAs, Anganwadi workers, ANMs and otherancillary staff,” the Lt Governor asked the officials. 

While emphasizing on taking requisite precautionary measures and carefully monitoringthe areas with higher positivity rate, the Lt Governor directed for micro-containmentzones to isolate such areas, besides timely monitoring and responsive action to break thespread chain. 

Meanwhile, the Lt Governor also reviewed the installation and functionality of oxygengeneration plants, and availability of buffer stock across the UT. 

Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries & Commerce department briefed theLt Governor about the ample availability of oxygen stock in the UT. 

The Lt Governor called for utilization of buffer stock of oxygen cylinders for oxygensupply in the Covid Care Centres in rural areas as per requirement. 

The Lt Governor appreciated the efforts of the Health department for effective handlingof the pandemic situation. 

Earlier, Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo,gave a detailed overview of bed occupancy in hospitals, containment activities, status ofvaccination drive under different age groups, district-wise daily and weekly trends ofCovid-19 cases, testing & positivity rate, recovery rate etc. 

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary;Dilbag Singh, DGP; Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department;Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Bipul Pathak,Principal Secretary to Government, Department of Rural Development and PanchayatiRaj; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department & InformationDepartment; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works(R&B) Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; RanjanPrakash Thakur, Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries & CommerceDepartment; Mukesh Singh, ADGP; Sarita Chauhan, Commissioner/Secretary to theGovernment, Labour and Employment Department; Pandurang K Pole, DivisionalCommissioner, Kashmir; Sheetal Nanda, Secretary to the Government, Social WelfareDepartment; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional CommissionerJammu; Deputy Commissioners and SPs, attended the meeting, in person and throughvirtual mode.