Lieutenant Governor has promulgated Jammu and Kashmir Epidemic Diseases (COVID-19) Regulations Act, declaring Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) as an epidemic. With it, he has assigned powers, duties, and responsibilities to the Surveillance Personnel, Medical Officers and Practitioners.
If any person, be it a Home Quarantine, Institutional Quarantine or one in kept Isolation, refuses to cooperate with the Surveillance Personnel or the Magistrates will be dealt with under Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure or any other coercive action as deemed necessary. Suspects contravening provisions of regulations, disobeying an order or obstructing the performance of functions, duties, and responsibilities will be deemed to have committed an offence under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant). Probably this is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that any disease has been declared as an epidemic.
The declaration of the epidemic is besides measures asked to be undertaken by every individual such as maintaining social distancing, adopting basic hygiene methods such as coughing into one’s elbow, hand-washing for at least 20 seconds and avoiding touching face.
Without any doubt, these measures are necessary for the prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, it is important to understand that they cannot alone stem the tide against COVID-19. For that to happen, the head of the World Health Organization had a message for the globe: test, test, test.
The WHO chief has underlined that “all countries should be able to test all suspected cases, they cannot fight this pandemic blindfolded.”
As coronavirus cases continue to rise, there are still very few labs as private laboratories are no deemed eligible to do the testing. Also, very few people are being tested which is precariously becoming dangerous.
The WHO has said that it vital for the government to have an accurate count of the number of people infected so it knows where and how to best distribute resources.
As more residents are tested, the government will get a clearer picture of the extent of the disease and the scope of its response.
If the state is going to effectively manage this problem, it needs to continue to push for more testing, continue to provide regular and accurate updates to the public, and continue to push for protections for people including hospital staff and others.
