COVID-19: Govt adopts ‘Cluster Containment Plan’; All Ladakh passengers to be quarantined

Yash Khajuria
Jammu: To tackle the threat of local transmission of Coronavirus, the UT administration today decided that public entry in Civil Secretariat and all HoD level offices in Jammu Division will remain ceased till March 31 besides, all Ladakh passengers entering J&K will be quarantined as a precautionary measure.
The Chief Secretary, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, reviewed the Cluster Containment Plan to prevent, contain and manage community transmission of infection in Jammu and Kashmir. The review meeting was held in the wake of rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the world and in the country.
All Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Mission Director, National Health Mission (NHM), Deputy Commissioner, Jammu and Commissioner JMC participated in the meeting. In the meeting, the Cluster Containment strategy and steps required to be taken for its effective implementation were presented by Financial Commissioner, Health, and discussed in detail. It focuses on containing the disease within a defined geographic area through early detection, breaking the chain of transmission, thus preventing its spread to other areas.
In view of detection of two confirmed, (possibly three) Coronavirus cases in Jammu and measures put in place by the Health Department to tackle the threat of its local transmission, it was decided that public entry in Civil Secretariat and all HoD level offices in Jammu Division will remain ceased till March 31, 2020 as a precautionary measure.
Chief Secretary directed the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu to ensure that passengers of all incoming flights from Ladakh be 100 % quarantined, besides setting up of quarantine facility at Baltal Base Camp in Sonmarg in Kashmir to quarantine people entering into JK from Ladakh. It was also decided that all foreigners visiting the Union Territory shall be quarantined as per the set protocol.
Expecting people to gather in large numbers during upcoming religious festivals, Chief Secretary directed Divisional Commissioner, Jammu to call a meeting of all prominent religious leaders, advising them to convince people to reduce/avoid gatherings during such times so as to keep the transmission in check.
Chief Secretary directed the Commissioner, JMC, to start a massive fumigation drive at Hospitals, Airports, Railway Stations, Bus stand, 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 & Kashmir shall be checked and sanitized at an entry point in Kathua.
Regarding awareness among the common people for prevention of this disease, Chief Secretary directed Divisional Commissioner, Jammu to launch a sustained awareness campaign through all available means so that there is no panic and that people get educated about precautions and protocol to be followed in an event of contact with a suspect case.