‘Scale up vaccination with intensive drives and enforce strict Covid protocol in the areas witnessing increased number of Covid-19 cases’. These directions were issued during the weekly meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to review the Covid scenario in J&K.The Lt Governor asked the Deputy Commissioners and Health department to effectively utilize the available stock of vaccines to meet the set target. He said that there is no shortage of vaccine, adding that 20 lakh doses of the vaccine would be received by ending September, the administering whereof needs to be planned accordingly, especially by focusing on the areas with lower rates of vaccination.Conduct aggressive vaccination drives by mobilizing extra teams to fill the gaps across the UT. Map the areas reporting increase in positive cases and take immediate preventive measures wherever required, the Lt Governor directed the officials.He said the studies show the vaccination rate and Covid positivity are inversely proportional to each other. Therefore, maximum coverage of vaccination is required to eliminate the probability of increase in positivity rate, and severity of the cases, he said.
During the meeting with DCs and SPs, the Lt Governor directed the joint team of police & civil administration for strict enforcement of Covid protocol and taking stringent action as per law against the violators.District administration needs to ensure intensive testing in the vulnerable areas. Contacts of positive cases must be traced at the earliest for home quarantine or treatment, besides effective demarcation and containment measures of containment zones should be implemented to control the spread of virus, observed the Lt Governor.The Lt Governor reiterated his directions to the DCs and Divisional Commissioners for ensuring vaccination of college, university students and specially-abled people through special drives.Sh. Vivek Bhardwaj, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department gave a detailed presentation on the covid containment measures; weekly trend in Covid cases, Daily Covid vaccination, District-wise vaccination allocation plan etc.Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Sh. Dilbag Singh, DGP; Sh. Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department; Sh. Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Sh. Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works (R&B) Department; Sh. Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Sh. Mukesh Singh, ADGP; Sh. Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Sh. Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Deputy Commissioners and SSPs, attended the meetings, in person and through virtual mode.