The Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam today chaired a meeting of the UT Steering Committee on COVID-19 to review the progress of vaccination drives that were rolled out in January 2021.Administrative Secretaries of departments of Health & Medical Education, Revenue, Housing & Urban Development, Information, Transport, Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM) and Deputy Commissioners of all districts were present at the meeting.The Chief Secretary asked all the DCs to closely monitor the trajectory of COVID infections to prevent a surge in cases and assiduously expedite vaccination of priority groups in accordance with the schedule of vaccination drives.It was informed that in the initial phases of COVID-19 vaccination, 70% of health workers and 57% of front line workers totalling 3,81,200 people have been vaccinated in Jammu and Kashmir with no reported case of any serious adversity. The next phase of vaccination for the 3rd prioritized group began today to cover approximately 15 lakh people above the age of 60 years, and persons with co-morbidities in the age group of 45-59 years.It was further informed that the vaccine will be administered across 2034 COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs) including 34 private centres. DCs were asked to supervise and monitor vaccination drives across the CVCs under their jurisdiction, besides ensuring that prices of vaccines at private establishments do not cross the prescribed limit of Rs. 250 per dose. The vaccines will be administered free of cost at all government CVCs.Moreover, at the vaccination centres, arrangements have been made for the advance booking of appointments through a slot system on a day-to-day basis. The slots will be proportioned to accommodate reserved appointments of COWIN registered beneficiaries, 2nd dose beneficiaries and open/walk-in beneficiaries. The district administrations were advised to promote awareness on registrations through the COWIN app, categories of prioritized beneficiaries, and COVID vaccination centres through various IEC activities.DCs were asked to ardently promote COVID appropriate behaviour, improve the rate of testing to meet respective target quotas, and mobilize the targeted beneficiaries towards vaccination process through the frontline workers- ASHAs, AWWs, ANMs, etc.