Two +ve cases turn –ve in Kargil
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 3: Two positive cases for COVID-19 hailing from Kargil district in the Union Territory of Ladakh tested negative today while no positive case was reported from any part of Jammu region and UT of Ladakh even as the Army has augmented national capacity with five Testing Labs activated at Udhampur, Lucknow, New Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru.
Commissioner/Secretary Health, Ladakh Rigzin Samphel told a press conference in Kargil that reports of 50 samples were received today by the administration of UT and all of them were negative. They included two positive patients of Kargil district.
“As per the standard protocol, we will hold another test of the positive-turned-negative patients within 24 hours and if they again come negative, they will be declared as treated and discharged from the hospital,’’ Samphel said.
Ladakh has so far reported 14 Coronavirus patients, three of whom have been cured and discharged.
Samphel said the UT administration is in touch with Ministries of External Affairs and Health for evacuation and remaining pilgrims from Iran while the students and other passengers held up in other parts of the country will be brought back only after lockdown period is over.
Meanwhile, Army has augmented the national capacity for Coronavirus patients by activating five Testing Labs at Udhampur, Lucknow, New Delhi and Bangaluru.
“This is part of national grid to fight COVID-19 pandemic,’’ sources said.
J&K Government spokesman and Principal Secretary Planning Development and Monitoring Department Rohit Kansal told media persons today that the Government has identified 34 Hotspots/Red Zones in J&K out of which 24 are in Kashmir division and 10 in Jammu including Pulwama (7), Bandipora (4), Budgam (4), Srinagar (5), Shopian (2), Jammu (4), Rajouri (5) and one each in Ganderbal, Baramulla and Udhampur districts.
Kansal revealed that Jammu and Kashmir has also been testing cases aggressively and so far 1218 tests have been conducted which is 6.5% of total under surveillance.
He said that nearly 2000 contacts of positive cases have been identified of which 975 have been traced and tested. He reassured that all the identified contacts will be traced and tested for Covid 19. He said, “We plan to test every single one of the 2000 contacts that we have identified.”
Kansal informed that steps have been initiated to enhance and upgrade the health infrastructure in UT and said that 68 new medical professional including doctors/specialists/paramedics/medical officers/nurses have joined their respective duties. The UT Government is also procuring masks, PPEs and ventilators to augment the existing health infrastructure and every possible effort is being made to ensure that there is no shortage of manpower in the health sector.
He assured that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure sufficient supply of essential commodities. The NH 44 Highway has been reopened and made functional and nearly 800 trucks and tankers have crossed Jawahar Tunnel carrying essential goods to the Valley. He informed that supply of fruits and vegetables and POL has also reached the Valley. The downward movement of material from the Valley such as apples from cold stores has also started.
He informed that since the beginning of lockdown upto 8 AM in the morning, 5037 trucks carrying essential goods containing foodgrains (1579), LPG (384), POL tankers(123), fruits and vegetables (1530), medicines and health supply (180), milk (180), cattle feed /fodder 372 have entered J&K from Lakhanpur. In order to augment the supply lines, he said that 248 local industrial units have been made operational. These include units manufacturing animal feed, pharmaceutical products, surgical bandage, masks, hospital gowns besides eatables like flour,rice and edible Oil.
The Government spokesperson said that in his previous briefing he had already informed about 24X7 dedicated Helplines set up by the Resident Commissioner’s Office in New Delhi and the Labour Department to assist the migrant labourers and other citizens. He said that 27,000 residents of J&K stranded in different parts are being reached out and provided support through these Helplines. So far over 150 calls have been received on these Helplines and about 30,000 interstate migrant labourers with in J&K are being taken care of in every possible way.
Deputy Commissioners in all the districts have also set up individual Control Rooms to provide assistance to these stranded migrant labourers.
Kansal said that the Government is aware of the hardships being faced by the old and vulnerable sections of the society due to the ongoing lockdown. The Social Welfare Department is reaching out to nearly 30 lakh people including pensioners, residents of Bal Grehs, old age homes, Juvenile Homes and nearly 30,000 children belonging to the disadvantaged section of the society.
Kansal informed that the JMC has already started preparing disinfectant tunnels. To begin with he said that they will be installed in the Hospitals and later the facility will be extended to other public places and buildings.
He thanked the public for the cooperation extended to the Government machinery in implementing the lockdown and informed that the COVID 19 Awareness and Monitoring Committees shall be set up at Panchayat and Block levels and services of the elected representatives, PRIs, religious leaders, ULBs will be actively sought for imparting awareness.
Deliberating on the Advisory issued by the Principal Scientific Advisor regarding the importance of masks in containing the spread of Covid 19, Kansal said that J&K Government has decided to educate the public about the usage of masks. He said that different categories require different kinds of masks. Health Workers and Frontline Professionals including people dealing with essential services require specialised masks while others may not require such specialised masks.
“We will ensure that required quantity of masks is supplied to each category. The Rural development Department has been assigned the responsibility to prepare cotton masks through the engagement of Self Help Groups, NGOs and others who are willing to volunteer,” he added.
Kansal said that AYUSH Ministry has also issued advisory regarding use of immunity boosters to fight Covid 19 effectively. He added that Government will ensure that all these immunity boosting products are made available to the people.
Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar, Director Information and Public Relations and Sh. Bhupinder Kumar, Director NHM were present during the press briefing.
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