Death toll reaches 4,476,tally at 3.36 L

GoI issues SoPs for I’nat travellers visiting J&K, staff called back at DRDO hospital Jmu

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir recorded 150 fresh cases of coronavirus on Monday, taking the infection count to 3,36,681, while another related fatality raised the death toll to 4,476. Moreover, amid concern over new variant of Covid The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has issued new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the international travellers intending to visit the Union Territory while the staff in DRDO hospital in Jammu was repatriated.
Among fresh cases, 28 cases were from the Jammu division and 122 from the Kashmir division of the Union Territory, the officials said.
The Srinagar district recorded a maximum of 48 new cases followed by 23 cases in Baramulla district.
There are 1,626 active cases in the UT, while the number of recovered patients stands at 3,30,579.
It was informed that the Central Government has issued guidelines for detecting cases of COVID variant Omicron from countries declared at risk.
The Chief Secretary underscored the need to adhere to the laid down guidelines and test all the incoming foreign travellers through international flights. As per the guidelines, the negative travellers will be sent for home quarantine of 7 days and re-tested on the 8th day, whereas, the COVID positive patients will be sent to institutional quarantine centres for 15 days and their samples will be sent for genome sequencing at ICMR designated testing laboratories.
It was emphasized that de-boarding from international flights must comply with the COVID appropriate behaviour (CAB) and set protocols and a special COVID helpdesk is forthwith established at the Srinagar airport. Besides, Secretary, Disaster Management was asked to monitor the situation and submit a daily report for timely intervention of the concerned agency. The Chief Secretary impressed upon the Health Department to establish genome sequencing facilities at Government Medical Colleges, Srinagar and Jammu to fast-track the detection of Omicron variant and other mutations.
Moreover, district administrations of Budgam and Srinagar were asked to establish government quarantine centres and further explore arrangements for paid quarantine facilities for institutional quarantine to deal with any emergent situation.
The Health and Medical Education Department was asked to conduct equipment audit to establish functionality of COVID related infrastructure including COVID dedicated hospitals, ventilators, Oxygen supported beds, and Oxygen plants. The Department was directed to ensure readiness of manpower and machinery to cater to a peak caseload of at least 7500 patients per day and firm up the inventory of oxygen supply and medicines.
Further, the Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners to enhance testing rate and contact tracing for positive patients to trace infection trajectory and establish micro-containment zones at an early stage. Additionally, the Deputy Commissioners were directed to reduce the daily reported cases through strict enforcement of CAB, COVID SOPs and protocols, and micro-containment zones.
Meanwhile, barely 18 days after the staff at the DRDO hospital in Jammu was repatriated, the employees were called back and re-deployed at the hospital after Covid cases showed a sudden spike in Jammu region. The health department has re-deployed officers, doctors and other paramedical staff at the DRDO Hospital in Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu district, which was specially set up for the treatment of Covid positive patients.
Dr Narinder Bhatial Medical superintendent at DRDO hospital said that hospital was never closed but as there was no patient admitted so staff as per government order was repatriated, however, as cases have surged again and patients have been started to admit at the hospital, staff is being re-deployed. He said that as cases will increase, more staff was re-deployed and re-deploying of staff will depend upon cases
According to the guidelines the MoH&FW said that the global trajectory of COVID-19 pandemic continues to decline with certain regional variations. “The need to monitor the continuously changing nature of virus and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) must still remain in focus.”
“The existing guidelines for international arrivals in India have been formulated taking a risk-based approach. The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (8.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been now classified as variant of concern by the world Health organization.” “All travellers should submit self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal (https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration) before the scheduled travel, including last 14 days travel details.”