COVID-19: Enforce 24×7 strict lockdown, Advisor Baseer asks DCs

SRINAGAR — Advisor to Lieutenant Governor and overall Incharge of Coronavirus Control Efforts (CCE) in Kashmir division, Baseer Ahmad Khan today directed Deputy Commissioners to enforce 24×7 (round the clock) strict lockdown in their respective districts.

Advisor Khan issued these directions while chairing a high level meeting to review the arrangements and preparedness to combat Coronavirus epidemic in the Valley.

Advisor directed DCs to plug all loopholes immediately and take strict action against people who try to break the lockdown. He asked DCs to involve religious heads so that they can advise their followers against holding any congregations and spread awareness about observing social distancing norms to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Advisor said that two lakh N-95 masks and adequate number of ventilators will reach the Valley soon. “Our frontline workers which include doctors, medical staff and other essential services employees are doing commendable job on ground. There is a complete synergy between government and medical workers. We have to work in unison and support each other in present circumstances,” he added.

Advisor reviewed random & rapid testing facilities in hospitals, Red Zones & Buffer Zones, door to door screening, cases in hospital isolation, suspected persons in administrative & home quarantines, additional quarantine facilities, distribution of personal kits & masks, VTM kits, functioning of 24×7 control rooms, contact tracing, surveillance teams, online training programmes for medical technicians, power & water supply, FIRs lodged, sealing of shops, seizure of vehicles, establishment of decontamination tunnels at all hospitals, distribution of ration at door steps and other measures.

Director SKIMS informed the meeting that the institution is focusing on increasing the COVID-19 testing facilities and pooled their own resources. He said that the institute would increase testing facility and upto 1000 tests will be done in a single day.

Mr. Khan directed the officials to put in their best efforts to prevent the spread of virus and asked them to intensify efforts to find anyone and everyone who might have come in contact with the suspected cases. He said that proper guidelines need to be followed while dealing with the evolving coronavirus situation.

Advisor Khan directed concerned officers to attach all administrative quarantines to the COVID-19 hospitals in the Srinagar district. He emphasized on the need to dispose off the garbage coming out of quarantine facilities on scientific lines.

To prevent allergies from female Russian poplars, he directed DCs to axe down all such trees immediately, especially in close areas of habitations.

Rural Development Department (RDD) informed that 1.36 lac masks were made by self-help groups and 90,000 masks were already distributed to the general public through PRIs.

The Advisor directed Director RDD & NRLM to compile daily report of masks and share it with DCs on daily basis.

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole, Director SKIMS Dr. A G Ahanger, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Directors of RDD, NRLM and Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Division attended the meeting.