Srinagar, March 20: Government of India has asked Jammu and Kashmir administration to take necessary measures for creating awareness among people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour and take necessary action for its strict enforcement so as to fully overcome the covid-19 pandemic.
In this regard Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written a letter to Chief Secretary J&K, inviting attention to January 27 order by MHA, delineating guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution.
In terms of Guidelines, State/UT Governments have been mandated to take all necessary measures to promote COVID-19 appropriate behaviour and ensure wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing.
Further, these measures on COVID appropriate behavior are also included in the National Directives for COVID-19 Management, which have to be strictly followed throughout the country.
“After the steady decline in COVID-19 cases for about 5 months, for the last few weeks, the number of COVID cases are showing an increasing trend in several parts of the country. It has been observed that it is largely due to laxity in the observance of COVID appropriate behaviour by the people, especially in the crowded places,” Bhalla underlined in the letter.
Keeping in view the fresh surge of cases and upcoming festivals, it will be important to ensure compliance of the guidelines and to strictly enforce COVID appropriate behaviour, such as wearing of face masks, hand hygiene and social distancing among people, he said.
“I would, therefore, urge you to take necessary measures for creating awareness among people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour and simultaneously take necessary action for its strict enforcement, so as to fully overcome the pandemic,” he said, adding, Further, necessary orders/guidelines, issued by the respective Slate Governments/UT Administration in this regard, should be widely disseminated to the public and to the field functionaries for implementation.”
