Chief Secretary reviews public health response to COVID-19

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Srinagar, Oct 9: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta Saturday chaired a meeting to review the public health response to COVID-19.
Additional Chief Secretary, Finance, Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education, Vivek Bhardwaj, Principal Secretary, Public Works (R&B), Shailendra Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr. Raghav Langer, Secretary, DMRRR, Nazim Zai Khan besides, Inspectors General of Police, Kashmir/Jammu, all Deputy Commissioners, all District Superintendents of Police and other concerned officers participated in the meeting.
At the outset, the Chief Secretary, appreciated the four districts of Samba, Poonch, Ramban and Anantnag for achieving 100% vaccination of population over 18 years with 1st dose. He reiterated that the remaining districts also need to redouble their efforts to ensure 100% coverage of all eligible population with first COVID vaccination dose within a week.
The meeting opened up with a brief presentation by the Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Medical Education, giving a snap shot of Covid cases, testing and vaccination scenario in the Union territory.
It was informed that Jammu and Kashmir has reported 0.21% daily positivity rate against the national average of 1.49%. So far, 1,25,34,897 vaccination doses have been administered to the eligible population in the Union territory. A total of 86,64,393 (93% of total population) people of 18 years and above age have been administered the first dose while 38,70,504 in the same age group have been given the second dose (42% of total population).
Dr Mehta impressed upon all the district administrations to mobilise all resources towards universal vaccination of eligible group, including initiating IEC campaigns, if necessary, to saturate all the eligible population in all districts with first dose by 16th October, 2021. He also asked the districts to focus on overdue second dose so that such population can be covered at the earliest.
Dr. Mehta stressed the need of strict enforcement of the COVID appropriate behaviour (CAB) and COVID SOPs, especially during the upcoming season of festivities. The enforcement agencies were directed to strictly implement the established protocols and levy penalties on defaulters.