Distts to be categorized as Active, In-active
*Multi-pronged strategy framed to check COVID-19
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 12: Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has chalked out a multi-pronged strategy to prevent further spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and most of the restrictions, which are presently in place, are likely to continue till the middle of next month.
Moreover, districts will be categorized as COVID Active and Inactive and there will be complete restrictions on inter-province and inter-districts movements except for essential supplies and all educational institutions and other places of mass gathering will remain closed till May 15, 2020.
Reliable sources in Police Department and divisional administration, who are privy to the discussions held at the top level during the past few days on the prevailing situation, told the EXCELSIOR that Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is currently showing trends of extreme vulnerability on the basis of number of active cases and district-wise spread.
“A consensus has emerged during the discussions that continuing to restrict large scale movement of people across districts and UT boundary is critical and there should not be any relaxation till there is descend from Stage IV to II”, they further said, adding “entire administration is of the opinion that time is yet not ripe for full withdrawal of lockdown and rather gradual, phased and calibrated strategy is required to be adopted to ensure that the case load is kept below the surge capacity of the health care system to deal with it”.
Disclosing that a multi-pronged strategy has been worked out for the period beyond April 14, when the current lockdown will end, sources said, “the Government has set a goal to prevent any community transmission of Coronavirus as there is high possibility of infections due to movements because of undetected cases”, adding “the strategy has been worked out keeping district as a basic unit”.
They further disclosed that districts to be categorized as COVID-Active and Inactive with COVID-Active districts will have to follow a tighter regime as compared to those which are not. “Even tougher measures will be taken in the Red Zones and Hot Spots with complete ban on any type of movement”, sources added.
No inter-state transport of any kind will be permitted except in extremely limited exceptions that too only after strict permissions and approvals. Even inter-province movements will be completely restricted except for essential supplies and no movement within the district shall be permitted without a movement pass. Moreover, those moving with passes will necessarily have to wear masks.
They further disclosed that Government has planned to keep shut the educational institutions from a Primary School to the University till May 15, 2020. Similarly, all religious pilgrimages and congregations etc will continue to remain banned till May 15 and all malls, cinema halls, restaurants, gyms, sports stadiums/clubs and recreational clubs will continue to remain closed till May 15, 2020.
According to the sources, strict lockdown will be enforced for Jammu and Srinagar districts keeping in view the fact that Srinagar is currently a major hot spot and Jammu is to prevented from becoming the one. “Even Government departments will function with 50% staff on roster basis and there is possibility of Government introducing five day working week system in all the departments at the field level”, they added.
About essential services, sources said that existing strategy and scheme will continue so as to maintain supply of essential commodities to the people. “All essential services and goods and their supply chains will continue to operate with bare minimum staff and District Magistrates will be authorized to allow opening of any essential shop/activity by following norms of social distancing as per the needs”, they added.
Even agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry activities and the industry/local travel related thereto shall also be allowed. Moreover, controlled functioning of industries will be permitted.
“By implementing this multi-pronged strategy the Government wants to ensure that the grains of the ongoing lockdown don’t get eroded as people have with great difficulty learnt to live with the restrictions”, sources said quoting the observations of the Government, adding “formal orders regarding new strategy will be issued by the Government within next few days”.
In response to a question, they said that by adopting new strategy the Government wants to reduce the spread of COVID-19, minimize the loss of health care professionals and other essential service providers, increase the capacity of health care system to handle a sudden surge, increase testing and surveillance to eliminate community spread, ensure access to other health care requirements of citizens, maintain other public health initiatives and establish special help-lines for vulnerable groups like cancer, dialysis and patients on immunosuppressant etc.
As far as non-health related objectives are concerned, the Government wants to maintain access to food and other essentials, maintain purchasing power of community, facilitate return of stranded population and students both in and outside the Jammu and Kashmir without increasing the spread of Coronavirus and maintain such economic activities that have long term implications (agriculture and horticulture etc).
About the prevailing scenario, they said that J&K has yet not reached the stage of community transmission and almost all the cases are traced to foreign travel, religious congregation and contact with positives etc. “This is because of approach of aggressive contact tracing”, they further said, adding “even two-third positive cases are asymptomatic and this is a result of aggressive contact tracing, tracking, testing and treating”.
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