*Advises people to defer family functions, congregations
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 11: Chief Secretary, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam today took stock of measures put in place by the Health Department to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir.
All Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) and Director Information participated in the meeting.
Chief Secretary emphasized that people should be advised to defer or cancel their family functions and congregations. If not avoidable, they must reduce the size of gathering to bare minimal. It was advised that avoidable travel or movement should also be discouraged to minimize risk of transmission of infection. CS appealed to the general public to maintain social distance and avoid close contact.
Divisional and all Deputy Commissioners were asked to minimize, reduce or cancel all avoidable gatherings wherever possible in their respective jurisdictions, as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of infection.
Chief Secretary asked all Administrative Secretaries and other senior officers to conduct meetings/interactions over Video Conference so as to avoid large meetings wherever possible. Further, he also asked them to have such meetings, workshops and seminars also deferred in their subordinate departments/offices, as a precautionary step.
He said that as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI each department has its own role to play so that there are coordinated efforts to meet out the evolving Coronavirus situation in the Union Territory.
Earlier, Financial Commissioner, Health, apprised the meeting about the present situation in this regard and preventive measures put in place to contain and manage the Coronavirus infection.
He informed the meeting that highest level of alertness is being maintained through proper screening checks at the airports, where 100 percent declaration is being strictly made to be followed, while as health desks have been put in place at railway stations for awareness of travellers.
Random road checks at the two entry points at Lakhanpur in Kathua and Qazigund (Lower Munda) in Anantnag, are in place with a similar check post at Katra to ensure that people visiting the Shrine do not miss screening for history of travel, contact or symptoms.
FC Health, further informed that Coronavirus lab testing facilities have already been started at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar and Government Medical College, Jammu besides surveillance teams have been constituted across all districts to meet any kind of eventuality.
UT level Control Room has been established by NHM at Nagrota and Divisional Level Control Rooms also have been established which are functional 24X7. Besides, Deputy Commissioners have also set up such Control Rooms in their respective Districts, he added.
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