With 17 new cases, J&K Coronavirus figure reaches 224
3 Tablighis from UP among 5 more +ve, Jammu tally 44
Aggressive contact tracing in J&K: Dr Jitendra
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Apr 11: Five persons including a woman who delivered a baby only a day before and three Tablighi Jamaat cadre from Uttar Pradesh tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu region and 12 in Kashmir today taking total number of Coronavirus patients across the Union Territory to 224. Report of woman prompted the authorities to temporarily shut Labour Room in SMGS Hospital and Sub District Hospital Akhnoor where the pregnant woman had been treated before her caesarean.
Till tonight, Kashmir’s tally of COVID-19 positive patients stood at 180 and Jammu region’s at 44.
A 28 year old woman from village Trangali in Jourian area of Akhnoor reported at Sub District Hospital at Akhnoor on April 8 for delivery and was asymptomatic then. However, she was referred to the SMGS Hospital on April 9 as she required caesarean. Doctors conducted caesarean in the SMGS Hospital the same day she was admitted and after the delivery she developed symptoms like fever and cough.
Doctors recommended COVID test for the woman and she tested positive in the report released today.
Immediately thereafter, SMGS Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Manoj Chalotra in consultations with the authorities ordered closure of Labour Room and some other parts of the hospital, which houses Gynecology, Pediatrics, ENT and Dermatology Departments.
“The woman, her newly born baby and five Coronavirus patients who had already been admitted in the SMGS Hospital were shifted to dedicated COVID Hospital at Gandhi Nagar. Labour Room and other parts of the hospital were subjected to fumigation and sanitization after shifting the Emergency patients. The Labour Room was again made operational within couple of hours,” Dr Chalotra said.
All doctors, para-medical and other staff of the SMGS Hospital who had attended the patient are being sent for administrative quarantine.
It may be mentioned here that OPD and routine surgeries have already been suspended in the SMGS Hospital, and only Emergency patients are being attended especially the delivery cases.
Sample testing of other family members of the woman is being done and they are being sent for quarantine, sources said, adding the woman has no travel or positive contact history and her all contacts are being traced to ascertain her source of infecting virus.
Director Health Services Jammu Dr Renu Sharma told the Excelsior that the Sub District Hospital in Akhnoor where the woman was initially admitted on April 8 has also been fumigated and sanitized completely and re-opened for the patients.
“Three doctors and some para-medical staff members who had examined the woman before referring her to the SMGS Hospital have been sent for quarantine and are being subjected to sample testing,” Dr Sharma said, adding the woman was asymptomatic at the time of examination in the SDH Akhnoor.
Authorities were busy preparing contact list of the woman but so far haven’t reached to any person, who is positive. It was also being ascertained as to whether she got infected within the SMGS hospital where five COVID-19 positive patients had been admitted.
Meanwhile, three more cadre of Tablighi Jamaat, two of them aged 32 years and another 30 years, were tested positive for Coronavirus. They belonged to Uttar Pradesh and were putting up at a religious place at village Sanji located on the border of Jammu and Samba districts. They have been shifted to Isolation Ward of the hospital from the quarantine
Twenty-three year old daughter of a woman in Tikri area of Udhampur district, who had become first Coronavirus casualty in Jammu region a day before, has also tested positive for COVID-19 in the test conducted on her at Command Hospital Udhampur.
Husband, son, daughter-in-law, two granddaughters and a cousin of the deceased woman, all residents of Tikri have already been tested positive for Coronavirus. However, a retired IGP of Bhatindi and his family members with whom the woman’s son was posted as PSO, have tested negative for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, who is Incharge for all 22 districts of the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh for COVID containment efforts, said aggressive tracing of contacts has been undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Situation on account of Coronavirus has stabilized in Rajouri district after three Coronavirus positive cases initially and focus now is on Udhampur and Bandipora districts. All these three districts fall in `Risk Zones’ declared by the Central Government,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
He added that random testing has been taken up in Udhampur district while Rapid Anti Body Testing will also be initiated in Jammu and Kashmir within the next 2-3 days after procurement of the kits. Dr Jitendra Singh today had detailed discussions with Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo to review Coronavirus containment efforts in Jammu and Kashmir.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Dr Piyush Singla today ordered fogging and fumigation in various Red Zones including Tikri and other areas of various Municipalities after eight members of a family were tested positive for COVID-19 in Tikri.
“Elaborate fogging/fumigation in various Red Zones including Tikri and various Municipalities. Shall be a routine phenomenon. Pumps available with Agriculture/ Horticulture departments activated. People advised to keep patience. Probable areas as per protocol shall be covered,” Dr Singla said in a tweet.
Through another tweet, he informed that there will be complete lockdown in Udhampur town and surrounding areas.
“Only Chemist shops in Gol Market area and opposite District Hospital shall be allowed to open. Administration will try to assist with other essential commodities. People are advised to wear cotton, surgical masks. However, in Red Zones of Magaeni, Tikri, Narsoo, Ramnagar tehsil there shall be complete closure of all establishments,” the District Magistrate Udhampur said.
Kargil to be soon Coronavirus-free
Kargil district in the Union Territory of Ladakh was today heading towards becoming Coronavirus-free with two positive patients of the district testing negative but the authorities said they will wait for their second test before discharging them and declaring them as treated.
Commissioner/Secretary Health Rigzin Samphel told reporters in Leh that that there were only four active cases of COVID-19 in Ladakh after 11 others had tested negative and discharged. Ladakh had total of 15 Coronavirus positive cases.
Of four active cases, two more tested negative today. Both of them belonged to Kargil district.
“We will wait for second negative report of the patients before declaring Kargil as Coronavirus-free district,” Samphel said, adding remaining two active cases are from Leh district.
Authorities in Ladakh today received reports of 31 samples and all of them were negative, Samphel said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
