Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 12 : Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today reviewed the current COVID status in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh with the administration, through a direct interaction with the Deputy Commissioners of each of the 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir and the two districts of Ladakh.
In a two-hour long video conference meeting, the Minister was given an update by administrative authorities, separately for different districts including Kathua, Jammu, Srinagar, Samba, Anantnag, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Kulgam, Pulwama, Kupwara, Shopian, Budgam, Ganderbal, Rajouri, Poonch, Bandipora, Kupwara in J&K, and Leh and Kargil in Ladakh, respectively.
While lauding the performance of the local administration, Dr Jitendra Singh observed that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh had fared better compared to most of the other States or Union Territories of the country. He said, in the terms of the number of samples being tested, we were ahead of all others, currently sending as many as over 4,500 test samples everyday and our doubling time was better than the average national doubling time, being at number 2 or 3 in the country.
Dr Jitendra Singh urged upon the administration to explain to the people the subtle nuances of statistical figures and not to get upset if on a given day the number of positive cases reported was higher than their expectation. He said, one of the main reasons for this is that nearly two months back we had the facility to get just about a 100 tests done in a day, while now it is 4,000 to 5,000 per day, and therefore, the exact representative figure will be reflected only if we calculate positive cases per thousand or by percentage.
Dr Jitendra Singh also received inputs regarding the opening of shops and resuming of daily activity depending upon the situation at different places. He said, the local administrative authorities must use their discretion to suggest how much relaxation is to be given where.
With the first passenger train for Jammu leaving from Delhi tomorrow, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the administrative authorities will, in the next few days, have to bear the added pressure of influx of people coming back to the two Union Territories through all the three available routes of rail, road and air. He also urged for facilitating the smooth functioning of private clinics by doctors and the private nursing homes.
All the participants expressed their satisfaction over the cooperation received from common public and civil society. They thanked the Minister for his support and timely interventions.
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