*Accord highest priority to areas reporting new positive cases
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 20: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today chaired weekly meetings with Covid Task Force, SSPs, and reviewed the Covid response and containment measures of the Districts’ Administrations.
Emphasizing on adopting multifold strategies to prevent the third wave, the Lt Governor passed specific directions for further enhancing the Testing and Tracing in the coming days. Maximum vaccination, continuously analyzing the situation, strict adherence to Covid protocols, and enforcement of containment measures should be the focused area of the administration at all levels to tackle the future health challenges, observed the Lt Governor.
The effective preventive and surveillance measures have shown favourable results in reducing the intensity of the second wave. We need to consolidate the substantial gains achieved in containing the spread and accord highest priority to the areas reporting new positive cases. The sustained decline in positivity rate must be maintained, the Lt Governor told the officials.
While taking stock of the cumulative Covid vaccination, the Lt Governor observed that the J&K Government has substantially ramped up the vaccination capacity across the UT, which will add to the efforts of inoculating the maximum population.
He directed the officials to work with renewed energy for increasing the speed of vaccination in the 18-44 age group and meet the targets in a time-bound manner.
Stressing on strict enforcement of containment measures, the Lt Governor directed the District Authorities to clearly demarcate the containment zones at the micro-level.
Terming better crowd management as imperative to break the spread chain, the Lt Governor asked the Civil and Police Administrations to discharge their collective responsibility for enforcing Covid Appropriate Behaviour in workplaces and in public, especially in crowded places.
During the meeting, the Lt Governor also invited suggestions from Divisional Commissioners, ADGP Jammu, IGP Kashmir, DCs and SSPs for implementing a robust strategy in the UT to prevent the third wave.
Earlier, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary while giving a detailed briefing on district-wise analysis of Covid situation informed about the latest status of active cases, positivity, vaccination, surveillance and contact tracing activities.
It was informed that all Districts continue to be in green zones as per the cardinal Indicators for assessing the COVID 19 Situation.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works (R&B) Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Mukesh Singh, ADGP; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Deputy Commissioners and SSPs, attended the meetings through virtual mode.