In view of the emergence of the new Covid variant Omicron, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has asked the administration at the divisional level and in the districts to ensure testing of all foreign travellers to the Union Territory.The directions came at a meeting of the Covid Task Force chaired by UT chief secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta to review the public health response to Covid-19. The meeting was attended among others by the Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Health & Medical Education, Home, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, besides Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Deputy Commissioner of Anantnag, Srinagar, Kathua, Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi and Budgam districts along with MD, National Health Mission and Director, Family Welfare.The Chief Secretary underscored the need to adhere to the laid down guidelines and test all the incoming travellers through international flights. As per the guidelines, the negative travellers will be sent for home quarantine of seven days and re-tested on the eighth day, whereas the Cvoid positive patients will be sent to institutional quarantine centres for 15 days and their samples will be sent for genome sequencing at ICMR designated testing laboratories.According to an official release issued here, it was emphasised that de-boarding from international flights must comply with the Covid-appropriate behaviour (CAB) and set protocols, and a special Covid helpdesk is forthwith established at the Srinagar airport. Besides, Secretary, Disaster Management was asked to monitor the situation and submit a daily report for timely intervention of the concerned agency.The Chief Secretary impressed upon the Health Department to establish genome sequencing facilities at Government Medical Colleges, Srinagar and Jammu to fast-track the detection of Omicron variant and other mutations.Moreover, district administrations of Budgam and Srinagar were asked to establish government quarantine centres and further explore arrangements for paid quarantine facilities for institutional quarantine to deal with any emergent situation.The Health and Medical Education Department was asked to conduct an equipment audit to establish the functionality of Covid-related infrastructure including dedicated hospitals, ventilators, oxygen beds, and oxygen plants. The Department was directed to ensure the readiness of manpower and machinery to cater to a peak caseload of at least 7,500 patients per day and firm up the inventory of oxygen supply and medicines.The Chief Secretary also directed the Deputy Commissioners to enhance the testing rate and contact tracing for positive patients to trace infection trajectory and establish micro-containment zones at an early stage. Additionally, the Deputy Commissioners were directed to reduce the daily reported cases through strict enforcement of CAB, Covid SOPs and protocols, and micro-containment zones.Meanwhile, the administration has ordered the resumption of 500-bed DRDO Hospital at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu in view of the threat of Omicron and recalled some of the health staff for duties there.Officials said the hospital has been made operational as a precautionary measure. More staff will be sought as per requirement, they added.On Monday, the Union Territory had reported 150 new cases of Covid-19 including 28 from Jammu division, taking the total number of positive cases to 3,36,681 in J&K. There was also one Corona related death also reported from Kashmir on Monday.
