Coronavirus cases cross 200 in J&K
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 10: Eighteen persons including seven from Southern State of Kerala today tested positive in Kashmir taking the number of COVID-19 positive cases to 168.
Among the 18 cases in Kashmir include four residents of Kupwara, six of Baramulla, one of Srinagar and seven from Kerala who were placed under quarantine by the Srinagar administration after they were spotted last month.
The three samples were sent to SKIMS laboratory from District Hospital Kupwara and another from GMC Baramulla. Three of them – a 16-year-old, 25-year-old and 58-year-old – are from Tangdhar, all contacts of a COVID-19 patient while another is a 25-year-old resident of Kupwara and has no travel history even though he has been working as a Chowkidar at a Madrasa.
All these three people from Tanghdar who tested positive were traced by surveillance teams of the administration. All of them are asymptomatic and are under quarantine at Tangdhar and are being shifted to COVID Hospital Kupwara. Their contact tracing has been started and they will also be put under quarantine.
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Those who tested positive from Baramulla include four from Sopore, all contacts of a previous COVID-19 patient. They are a 35-year old man from Maharajpora area, 58 year old from Nowpora, 25 year old from Bagh-i-Rehmat and 40 year old from Ashpeer Sopore. The other two include a 36-year-old resident of Kunzar Baramulla with travel history to New Delhi and 40-year-old from Magam area of Kunzar who had returned from Bangladesh.
The seven persons from Kerala who tested positive are under quarantine at Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Pampore. They were taken from Bemina Mosque along with around four dozen members of Tableeghi Jamaat and are under quarantine at EDI Pampore.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, today said that people testing positive for COVID-19 for last few days is a success story as the administration has managed to trace the people with travel history and contacts of COVID-19 positive cases. “COVID-19 positives in Srinagar today sounds panicky but it’s not. This is a classic ‘tracing success story’. We found a group of non-locals visitors, acted fast, quarantined,” Dr Shahid tweeted.
Meanwhile, the Government said 46158 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance so far.
Out of these 7726 persons have been kept under quarantine at home and facilities operated by Government while as 415 are in hospital quarantine while 197 persons have been kept in hospital isolation.
So far 2961 samples have been sent for testing of which 2754 tested as negative. 207 people have tested positive and of them, 197 are active cases-39 from Jammu division and 168 from Kashmir.
And the lockdown across Kashmir continued for the 22nd day today with authorities acting tough against the violators of government orders issued to prevent spread of coronavirus.
Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed on roads and they had erected concertina wire to block the roads to prevent movement of people and vehicles.
For the third consecutive Friday, no prayers were offered in the Masjids across Kashmir as government has closed major mosques and religious leaders have asked people to offer prayers at home.
The Red zones declared by government were totally sealed and no movement was being allowed in these area.
And acting tough Police today arrested 110 persons and seized eight vehicles for defying the restriction orders imposed by government in view of Covid-19.
In Srinagar, Police arrested 26 persons including 7 shopkeepers in the jurisdictions of Police Station Shaheed Gunj, Nowgam, Khanyar and Parimpora for defying the restriction orders imposed by Government in view of COVID-19 and also seized 2 vehicles. Cases under relevant sections of law have been registered at respective Police Stations and further investigations into the cases initiated.
In Bandipora, police arrested 50 persons and seized six vehicles for breaching the prohibitory orders of District Magistrate Bandipora across the district. Cases under relevant Sections of law have been registered and investigations in the cases have been initiated.
In Handwara, Police Station Qalamabad arrested 10 persons for violating prohibitory orders. While Police Station Kralgund arrested 19 persons for violating the prohibitory orders over Coronavirus.
Similarly, Police Station Handwara arrested five persons for violating prohibitory orders. Cases under relevant sections of law have been registered in respective Police Stations and investigations in the cases have been initiated.
And police also arrested dozens of people who defied the Government’s procedural protocol amid COVID-19 scare and participated in the last rites of slain militant in Sopore.
Dozens of people were arrested during nocturnal raids in Zaingeer belt and Police is looking for more people who violated the orders.
These people participated in the last rites of Jaish Mohammad commander Sajad Nawab Dar who was killed in a gunfight at Gul Abad area of Arampora Sopore on Wednesday.
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