Murmu briefs PM on steps to curb spread

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 11

Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu on Saturday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the efforts of the UT administration for management and containment of the coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Prime Minister was interacting with the Chief Ministers and heads of all states and UTs through a videoconference to review the efforts of the states and UTs to combat the Covid-19.

The Lt-Governor provided feedback to the PM about the coronavirus cases in J&K and steps taken by the UT administration to maintain social distancing, ramping up healthcare infrastructure, mitigating the difficulties of the migrants and maintaining the supply of essentials.

Murmu informed the PM that there were four deaths and 224 coronavirus cases in the UT and 98 per cent of the infected persons had a travel history or contacts of the positive patients.

In J&K, five districts are affected with the coronavirus and 77 areas have been declared as red zones, he said.

“At least 16 dedicated Covid-19 hospitals with 208 ventilators, besides 2,500 isolation beds and 25,000 non-hospital beds are available. As many as 400 more ventilators are being procured. About 5,500 people are under home quarantine and 30,000 labourers are living in camps. Around 18,000 healthcare professionals, 30,000 police personnel and others have been trained and are working towards the containment of the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

Soon after the videoconference, the Lt Governor chaired a meeting on the Covid-19 control efforts and directed the officials to effectively implement the restrictions in the red zones with aggressive and targeted testing to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in the UT.

He directed the authorities concerned to conduct 100 per cent testing of the inmates of the old-age homes in the wake of the emerging situation. He also directed for readying at least 3,000 quarantine beds and a minimum of 2,500 isolation beds in Kashmir and 1,500 beds in Jammu.