Considering the rise in the number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases across the world and in the country, J&K Chief Secretary on March 16 reviewed the Cluster Containment Plan to prevent, contain and manage community transmission of the infection in Jammu and Kashmir.
All administrative secretaries, Divisional Commissioner (Jammu), Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Deputy Commissioner (Jammu) and Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, participated in the meeting. In the meeting, the cluster containment strategy and the steps required for its effective implementation were presented by the Financial Commissioner, Health. The strategy focuses on containing the disease within a defined geographic area through early detection and breaking the chain of transmission to prevent its spread to other areas.
In view of the detection of two confirmed (possibly three) coronavirus cases in Jammu and the measures put in place by the health department to tackle the threat of its local transmission, it was decided that public entry to the Civil Secretariat and all head of the department level offices in Jammu Division will remain ceased till March 31 as a precautionary measure.
The Chief Secretary directed the Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) to ensure that passengers of all incoming flights from Ladakh be quarantined, besides setting up a facility at Baltal base camp in Sonmarg to quarantine people entering J&K from Ladakh. It was also decided that all foreigners visiting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall be quarantined as per the set protocol. Expecting people to gather in large numbers during the upcoming religious festivals, the Chief Secretary directed the Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) to call a meeting of all prominent religious leaders and advise them to convince people to reduce/avoid mass gatherings
The Chief Secretary also directed the Commissioner of the Jammu Municipal Corporation to start a massive fumigation drive at hospitals, airports, railway stations, bus stands, civil secretariat, high court as well as public offices. As another preventive measure to contain the virus, it was decided that all inter-state buses entering Jammu and Kashmir shall be checked and sanitised at an entry point in Kathua.
The Chief Secretary also directed the Divisional Commissioner (Jammu) to launch a sustained awareness campaign through all available means so that there is no panic and people get educated about the precautions to be followed in the event of a contact with a suspect case.
