As some districts of Jammu and Kashmir have recorded a surge in positive cases during the last one week, authorities in Union Territory have decided to continue the closure of all schools and higher educational institutions including coaching centers till further order.
However, the state executive committee has asked that the government shall consider phased re-opening of institutions where 100 percent vaccination of staff and students has been achieved.
The decision to continue the closure of educational institutions was taken at a reviewing meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar, who is also chairperson of state executive committee, 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.
In an order issued here after a detailed review of the current COVID situation in J&K, the state executive committee said "all school and higher educational institutions, including coaching centers, shall continue to remain closed for onsite/in-person teaching, till further orders. However, the educational institutions are permitted to seek personal attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes. Government shall consider phased re-opening of institutions where 100 percent vaccination of staff and students has been achieved," the order reads.
Night curfew to remain in force
Although authorities have already lifted the weekend curfew from all the twenty districts of Jammu and Kashmir, the night curfew shall continue to remain in force in all districts from 8 pm to 7 am. All Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have been asked to intensify testing by making optimum use of available RT-PCR and RAT capacities. There shall be no drop-in testing levels
"The maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor/ outdoor gathering shall be restricted to 25," it reads. All DCs have been also asked to focus on the positivity rates of the medical blocks under their jurisdictions.
"Intensified measures, related to COVID management and restriction of activities, shall be undertaken by the DCs in these Blocks," the order reads, adding, "There shall be a renewed focus on Panchayat level mapping of cases and effective micro-containment zones shall be constituted wherever unusual spike of cases is noticed."
DMs to constitute special squads for enforcing CAB
The state executive committee has asked all the District Magistrates to strictly ensure that there was full compliance to COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and defaulters are firmly dealt with under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code.
"The District Magistrates shall constitute joint teams of police and executive magistrates for intensifying enforcement of CAB," the order said, adding, "The joint teams shall submit daily reports regarding activities carried out by them and their assessment of compliance level."
