LG, CS test negative; 120 positive in Jammu
Two pilgrims infected, all safety measures in place
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 21: Nineteen persons from two families of Udhampur including 10 of a Court staffer, five police personnel posted at Sainik Colony Police Post, six more Health workers, four of them doctors and two paramedics, five patients admitted in the GMCs of Jammu and Rajouri, four members of a Kanak Mandi family, two pilgrims of holy cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi Ji hailing from Bihar and a couple each from Durga Nagar Kathua and Kishtwar were among 120 persons who tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu region today while Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam tested negative for the virus.
The Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary were tested for Coronavirus on their arrival here from Srinagar yesterday. They tested negative this afternoon, official sources told the Excelsior. Sinha is on maiden visit to Jammu after taking over as the Lieutenant Governor of J&K.
An Orderly, who was posted with the Sub Judge Udhampur, and his nine family members hailing from Kallar near Sailan Mohalla in Udhampur town tested positive for COVID-19 today. PSO of the Sub Judge, who also happened to be the Secretary of District Legal Services Authority, had tested positive yesterday.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Dr Piyush Singla told the Excelsior that the entire Court complex in consultations with Principal District & Sessions Judge Mohan Lal Manhas is being sanitized and all staff members including the Judges will be sampled for the virus.
Nine family members of an LIC official from Udhampur town, whose one of the brothers is posted in Pharmacology Department, tested positive for COVID-19 today, Dr Singla said, adding that all 19 members of two families of Udhampur town have been shifted to hospitals.
Further contact tracing of both the families is on for isolation and sample testing.
Five police personnel of Sainik Colony Police Post have tested positive for the virus. They include an ASI, one head constable and three constables. The Incharge Police Post had tested positive few days back. The Police Post has already been sealed. SHO of Channi Himmat Police Station Inspector Karan Chalotra has, however, tested negative.
Six Health workers including four doctors and two paramedics today tested Corona positive in Jammu. They include two Post Graduate (PG) doctors posted in Surgery Department of the GMC Jammu and two in the peripheries. A Nursing Supervisor and a Nurse have also tested positive in the GMC Jammu, Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh said.
Two patients admitted in Isolation Ward of the GMC Jammu and three patients of Rajouri district hailing from Ward Nos. 4 and 11 and Jawahar Nagar in the GMC Jammu and Rajouri have also reported Corona positive. Besides three patients, an Army soldier hailing from Thannamandi tested positive in Rajouri district.
Four members of a family from Kanak Mandi, all females including two children aged 6 and 8 years, have tested positive in Jammu district.
Two pilgrims from Bihar aged 29 and 35 years were tested at Katra for COVID-19 through Rapid Antigen Test before being allowed to proceed for Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine and they tested positive. They were shifted to hospital.
Shrine Board officials said strict protocol is in force and only those yatris from outside Jammu and Kashmir are being allowed to proceed to the Bhawan who have negative test reports with them. Other outsiders are being tested at Katra and permitted to move ahead if tested negative.
The officials said almost all employees of the SMVDSB and security personnel deployed from Katra to Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan have been tested for the virus. The positives have been shifted to Trikuta Bhawan which has been converted into COVID Care Facility. Entire track, buildings and all places of visit by the pilgrims are being regularly sanitized by the Shrine Board officials for safety of the pilgrims.
Today, 154 pilgrims visited the cave shrine including 94 locals and 60 from outside J&K under strict COVID protocol and management like maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, regular use of sanitizers etc.
A total of 63 persons today tested COVID positive in Jammu district. Significantly 50 of them had no travel history. Other positives of Jammu district include55-year-old woman from Nanak Nagar, a middle-aged man from Jagti Nagrota, 29-year-old woman from Paharian Mohalla, 51-year-old man from Narwal, 30-year-old youth from Rehari, an old woman from Prem Nagar, a man from Gandhi Nagar, 36-year-old woman from Resham Ghar, 35-year-old male from Ghou Manhasan, 58-year-old woman from Miran Sahib, 29-year-old youth from New Plot, 60-year-old woman from Bakshi Nagar, 24-year-old youth from RS Pura, 30-year-old woman from Talab Tillo and 60-year-old from Janipura.
Eleven fresh cases were today reported from Kathua district including a couple from Durga Nagar and one person each from Ward No. 15, Shiva Nagar, Palli Morh, Ward No. 8 and GMC Kathua. Other positives were contacts of Corona patients and travelers, Deputy Commissioner Kathua OP Bhagat said.
Eleven positive cases were also reported from Doda district. Eight of them were SSB jawans and three contacts of positive cases.
Of five new Corona cases reported from Kishtwar district today, a pregnant woman and her husband hailed from Dangdooru while three others were travelers and contacts of positive patients, according to District Magistrate Kishtwar Rajinder Singh Tara.
Two persons have tested positive for the virus in Ramban district. They include one worker of CPPL Company from Bihar presently putting up at Magerkot Ukheral and a local of Chanderkot.
Two women hailing from Bantalab Jammu and Supwal Vijaypur tested positive for COVID-19 in Samba district.
Jammu region now has 6876 Corona cases. Of them, 5352 have recovered from the virus while there were 1483 active cases. There have been 41 casualties in the region.
As many as 119 Corona patients were discharged from various COVID hospitals in Jammu today after testing negative. Of them, 74 hailed from Jammu district, 10 Kathua, eight Poonch, seven each Ramban and Samba, four each Udhampur and Reasi district, three Doda and two in Kishtwar district.
Meanwhile, an elderly woman today died in Kargil district taking Corona toll in the Union Territory of Ladakh to 19 including seven in Leh and 12 in Kargil.
The UT recorded 56 new Corona cases today-38 in Leh and 18 Kargil taking total Corona cases to 2133 and active to 665.
Meanwhile, Ladakh administration has ordered opening of religious places/places of worship as per the Standard Operating Protocol (SOP).
GMCs Rajouri, Doda to have Virology Labs
The Health and Medical Education Department has asked the Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) of Rajouri and Doda to gear up for setting up of Virology Laboratories to conduct testing for COVID-19.
The Government has asked HoD Microbiology Department of GMC Jammu Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma to supervise the setting up of Virology Laboratories in the two GMCs.
Few days back, the Virology Laboratory in the GMC Kathua has been made functional.
The step was aimed at conducting maximum tests for COVID-19, official sources said.
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