Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government on Sunday asked the district Magistrates to ensure strict enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB), terming it as “critical” in determining the need for “additional restrictions.”
“The District Magistrates of J&K shall strictly ensure that there is full compliance to Covid Appropriate Behaviour and defaulters are firmly dealt with under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code,” the State Executive Committee headed (SEC) by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar ordered, adding, “The DMs to intensify the campaigns for ensuring Covid Appropriate Behaviour. Dedicated IEC, including public announcements through mobile vehicles must also be undertaken.”
The DMs have been also been asked to constitute inspection teams of district officers to check whether the instructions for enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) are being implemented by the concerned with due responsibility.
“Further, the DMs shall constitute joint teams of Police and Executive Magistrates for intensifying enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour,” the SEC said and ordered that the joint teams shall submit daily report regarding activities carried out by them and their assessment of compliance.
The State Executive Committee also reiterated that measures ordered previous shall continue to remain in force.
Among others, the maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor/ outdoor gathering shall be strictly restricted to 25. However, in Banquet Halls in Districts with positivity rate below 0.2 and weekly case load below 250, gathering shall be permitted up to 25% of the authorised capacity, preferably in open spaces, for vaccinated persons/ persons with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours.
There shall be no weekend curfew in any district while offline board examination for 12th and 10th classes shall be permitted to be held in staggered manner keeping in view all the social distancing norms and Covid Appropriate Behaviour.
As regards the education institutions, the SEC reiterated that classes for 12th standard shall be permitted with limited in-person teaching not exceeding 50% on a given day, for vaccinated students and staff. Also, limited in-person teaching of students of 10th class, not exceeding 50% on any given day, and after ensuring compliance with Covid Appropriate Behaviour by the school authorities, can be permitted by concerned Deputy Commissioners after due screening through 100% Rapid Antigen Test or RT-PCR, subject to consent of parents and students.
“The schools, except for relaxations as provided above for students of 12th and 10th classes, shall continue to remain closed for on-site / in- person teaching,” the SEC said, adding, “Limited in-person teaching of vaccinated students, not exceeding 50% on any given day, shall be permitted in Polytechnics and it is subject to consent of parents and students and all measures as per Covid related protocols.”
