As Covid-19 cases surge in J-K, chief secy directs employees to WFH

Taking cognisance of the rising COVID-19 cases in the union territory, Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Thursday impressed upon all departments to permit a suitable percentage of the workforce to work from home.

Mehta gave this direction during a meeting of the COVID task force to review the rising coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir. He directed the strict implementation of the CAB and set protocols to break the chain of transmission.

The chief secretary appealed to the public to remain indoors and avoid visiting crowded places, besides urging them to voluntarily declare micro-containment zones in the areas that are seeing a large number of positive cases.

He said symptomatic people can avail of medical assistance and testing information by dialling the COVID emergency helpline number 104.

The meeting was apprised that although the Omicron variant is maintaining a high transmission rate -- raising the weekly positivity rate from 0.5 per cent to 5.4 per cent over the previous fortnight -- the oxygen bed occupancy and ICU bed occupancy are at a comfortable level of 7.7 per cent and 14.0 per cent, respectively.

Healthcare facilities have been ramped up and are in a state of readiness to cater to any eventualities, the officials said.

In comparison to the second wave, Jammu and Kashmir has doubled its testing capacity to over 80,000 daily tests, which is also being reflected in the higher number of daily reported cases, they said.

Although the number of daily reported cases has crossed the number recorded during the peak of the second wave, the comparative peak positivity rate and bed occupancy rate currently remains low at 7 per cent and 6.2 per cent viz-a-viz the second wave's 10.9 per cent and 60.8 per cent respectively, they said.

Jammu and Kashmir is also having a lower positivity rate compared to the national average of about 17 per cent.