Jammu, Aug 1: All schools and higher educational institutions, including coaching centres, will continue to remain closed for onsite or in-person teaching, till further orders, in J&K.
However, the educational institutions are permitted to seek personal attendance of limited vaccinated staff for administrative purposes.
The order in this connection was issued on Sunday by the Chief Secretary A K Mehta, who is also the chairperson State Executive Committee (SEC) of J&K Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction.
The direction came a day after the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a meeting with the Covid Task Force, Deputy Commissioners and District SSPs on July 31 to review pandemic situation, had instructed the Health department to prioritise vaccination of college and university students.
“As the Covid situation in J&K has improved significantly, now we can work out a plan to open educational institutions in a staggered manner,” the LG had stated.
As per official sources, the government may take a call allowing onsite or in-person teaching after August 15.
Mehta, in his order, also directed that the maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor or outdoor gathering would be restricted to 25.
“Night curfew shall continue to remain in force in all districts from 8 pm to 7 am. However, there shall be no weekend curfew in any district,” he further directed.
SEC issued these new guidelines for pandemic containment after a detailed review of the current Covid situation in Jammu and Kashmir was conducted by the Chief Secretary, J&K, with the Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Principal Secretary to Government, Home; Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and other officers of Jammu and Kashmir on July 31.
Review was conducted on an overall assessment of the situation pertaining to the spread of Covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly focusing on the parameters viz., total weekly new cases (per million), total positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate, vaccination coverage of targeted population and extent of compliance to Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB).
“Whereas it was observed that as compared to the previous weeks, some improvement has been made by many districts in respect of these parameters. However, there is a need to continue with the existing Covid containment measures in all the districts in view of the uneven trend in the daily cases,” SEC noted.
It directed that all Deputy Commissioners would focus on the positivity rates of the medical-blocks under their jurisdictions, besides taking intensified measures related to Covid management and restriction of activities in these blocks. Reiterating the need to strengthen the three – “T” protocol of testing, tracking and treating, SEC asked the authorities to strengthen vaccination drives in these blocks.
“J&K Directorate of Health and Medical Education shall ensure adequate availability of Covid dedicated health and logistics (including ambulatory) infrastructure, based on their assessment of the case trajectory. MD, NHM in consultation with the DCs shall take up Panchayat level mapping and data capturing for tracking the positivity rates on fortnightly basis in all Panchayats,” SEC ordered.