Lockdown curbs eased, but don’t lower guard, says J&K chief secy
JAMMU: As the fourth phase of lockdown was effected in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, UT chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam cautioned the public and administration to not lower their guard even as the restrictions had been eased.
“Though restrictions under Lockdown 4.0 have been relaxed to facilitate movement and economic activity, we cannot afford to lower our guard and shall be required to maintain a high level of alertness to keep Covid-19 under check in Jammu & Kashmir,” Subrahmanyam said.
He was interacting with all deputy commissioners and district superintendents of police through a video conference here.
Applauding the district authorities for their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic, the chief secretary said the new lockdown guidelines must be enforced strictly so that the progress achieved so far is maintained.
He mentioned that an order with fresh classification of districts as red, orange and green had already been issued.
The chief secretary emphasised that the earlier SOPs with regard to containment zones shall continue to remain in force to ensure a stricter perimeter and complete lockdown in such areas except essential supplies. Though certain relaxations have been specified in the guidelines, district magistrates can take localised measures to ensure social distancing to avoid congestion, especially in the areas where increased activity is expected, he maintained.
Subrahmanyam said the recent spike in positive cases in some districts can be attributed to a high positivity percentage among those returning from outside J&K. Complimenting the health department for its work in terms of enhancing the testing capacity, the chief secretary said once the influx of stranded persons decreases, the testing capacity shall be rationalised among the districts to further increase local testing.
HE SAID ONCE THE INFLUX OF STRANDED PERSONS DECREASES, THE TESTING CAPACITY SHALL BE RATIONALISED AMONG THE DISTRICTS TO FURTHER INCREASE LOCAL TESTING