Govt asks offices to regulate attendance to maintain social distancing norms

Pregnant women, disabled employees to work from home

Involve PRIs, Market Associations to reduce transmission rate

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 23: As the upward trend of COVID-19 infections continued in Jammu and Kashmir, the State Executive Committee (SEC) today directed all the offices to regulate attendance of employees to maintain social distance norms and announced exemption of pregnant women employees and those with disabilities from physical attendance in their offices.
The latest guidelines were announced by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta in his capacity as the Chairperson State Executive Committee (SEC) tonight.
The SEC directed all offices to regulate attendance of its employees in such a manner so as to ensure that appropriate social distancing norms are maintained.
The new guidelines, which retained already issued restrictions including weekend lockdown, night curfew and online classes up to college level, were issued after a fresh review of the COVID-19 situation.
“Pregnant women employees will be exempted from physical attendance and they shall be allowed to work from home. Employees with disabilities shall also be given the option to work from home,” the SEC order said.
To reduce the rate of transmission within Jammu and Kashmir, the order said, all efforts would be made by authorities through active involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions, community leaders, Market Associations and Federations.
The night curfew would continue to remain in force in all districts from 9 pm to 6 am with complete restriction on non-essential movement, the order said, adding there shall also be complete restriction on non-essential movement in the entire Union Territory from every Friday 2 pm to Monday 6 am.
As regards the education institutions, it said all colleges, schools, polytechnics, ITIs and coaching centres would continue to adopt online medium of teaching.
All Deputy Commissioners shall intensify testing and ensure full utilisation of available RT-PCR and RAT capacities, besides all districts shall intensify efforts to ensure timely administering of the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
The SEC said the asymptomatic incoming passengers to J&K, carrying a valid and verifiable final certificate report of COVID-19 vaccination or valid RT-PCR negative report taken within 72 hours, shall not be required to undergo RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen COVID-19 test on arrival.
The RT-PCR would, however, be conducted on symptomatic incoming passengers by air, rail and road to Jammu and Kashmir, the order said.
It said the inter-state movement of passenger transport of State Road Transport Corporation and stage contract private passenger buses would be permitted for fully vaccinated persons or persons with verifiable RT-PCR not older than 72 hours or based on Rapid Antigen Test on spot with strict compliance of CAB.
The SEC said the entry into parks would continue to be permitted to vaccinated persons only with due verification.
The SEC directed District Magistrates of respective districts of Jammu and Kashmir to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards non-compliance of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and ensure due action against the defaulters under relevant Sections of the law.
The SEC said the review was conducted to assess overall situation pertaining to the spread of COVID-19, particularly focusing on the total weekly new cases (per million), total positivity rate, bed occupancy, case fatality rate, vaccination coverage of targeted population and the extent of compliance to CAB.
“There is a need for additional measures besides continuing with the existing COVID containment measures in all districts in view of the uneven trend observed in daily COVID cases as well as rising positivity rate,” the order read.