Centre cautions Union Territories over surge in Covid-19 cases

Jammu & Kashmir was lauded at the meeting for performing reasonably well in mitigating the second Covid-19 wave with 3,946 cases per million population being reported over the last two weeks. The region has reported 62 deaths per million during the same period

Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Tuesday cautioned Union Territories (UTs) over surges in Covid-19 cases and asked them to remain vigilant to the situation as he chaired a meeting to review the management of the pandemic in the federally administered regions.

Shikaras parked at the Dal Lake during Covid-19 lockdown in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on May 4. (HT file)

He advised the UTs to learn from their experiences and to keep pace with testing and vaccination rates, besides enforcing appropriate behaviour and strengthening the medical infrastructure.

Jammu & Kashmir was lauded at the meeting for performing reasonably well in mitigating the second Covid-19 wave with 3,946 cases per million population being reported over the last two weeks. The region has reported 62 deaths per million during the same period.

Jammu & Kashmir chief secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said they have enhanced both testing and vaccination capacities. “The early detection of infection has allowed for timely medical intervention, whereas vaccination was found to reduce the severity of disease in patients... both strategies have been successful in restricting Covid-related fatalities in the UT,” he said.

Subrahmanyam credited timely response for reduction of cases from an all-time high of 5,500 to 2200 in two weeks. There was a reduction in the case positivity rate from 13% to 6.2% during the same time.

Subrahmanyam said more cases were now being reported from rural than urban areas. He added they plan to establish five-bedded Covid care facilities with at least one oxygen-supported bed at approximately 4,000 Panchayats to provide immediate medical care. Twin 500-bedded temporary hospitals were also being established by the Defence Research and Development Organisation in Jammu and Srinagar.