11 more treated in Jammu, active cases now just 15
Nearly 2300 labourers cross Lakhanpur
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 28: At least some business activity has started in rural areas of Jammu region with isolated shops allowed to open by the administration following an order issued by the Union Territory Government in compliance to directions issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs while 11 more Coronavirus patients were today successfully treated and discharged from the Chest Diseases Hospital in Jammu leaving only 15 active cases in the region from out of total of 58.
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With today’s recoveries, Samba district has become Corona-free while only three active cases were left in Udhampur district, which was once a Hotspot district with number of COVID-19 positive patients.
Meanwhile, nearly 2300 labourers today crossed Lakhanpur after reaching there from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in the Government buses from where they were sent to their respective district headquarters in the SRTC buses by the district Kathua administration.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh tweeted: “Jammu and Kashmir labourers from Punjab, Himachal, UP arrived at Lakhanpur today. SSP Kathua Shailendra Mishra deserved appreciation for making discrete arrangements as per the lockdown protocol. All have left for their respective places’’.
Mishra told the Excelsior that the labourers reached Lakhanpur in organized way from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and were allowed entry into the Union Territory.
“All of them are being sent to their respective district headquarters in the Government buses for administrative quarantine of 14 days,’’ Mishra said.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua OP Bhagat said the workers were sent up to Lakhanpur in the Government buses by the administration of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh from where they were taken in the SRTC buses to their district headquarters.
He added that the district Kathua administration had already tied-up with the administration of the districts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh from where the labourers were coming.
As many as 567 labourers had come from Hoshiarpur district of Punjab where they were stranded since the lockdown began.
Prior to this, number of students from Kota, Rajasthan had reached Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. Large number of Ladakh residents, who had gone on pilgrimage to Iran and were stranded in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, have also reached Leh and Kargil districts.
Meanwhile, reports from different parts of rural areas of Jammu region indicated resumption of some business activity with isolated shops opening though there were very less customers but the shopkeepers expressed confidence that the people will start coming to the shops gradually.
On the outskirts of Jammu district, some shops apart from that of essential commodities were open this morning. In rural areas of other districts also, few shopkeepers opened their shutters for the first time since March 24 when the lockdown started for the first time.
Sources in police and civil administration said there has been the Government direction to allow some shops to open in rural areas and standalone shops in urban areas. It was in this context that the shops have been allowed to open. However, the shopkeepers were categorically told to maintain social distancing and wear masks. They have been asked to ensure that there is no violation of the Government guidelines.
In some areas, the shopkeepers were themselves reluctant to open their business premises on the ground that there will be no customers in view of the lockdown. All main markets remained closed as per the Government instructions.
On Saturday, the UT Government had permitted opening of selected categories of shops in rural areas and standalone shops in the urban areas with some conditions. The order had come a day after the MHA allowed shops to open to resume economic activities amidst lockdown.
Meanwhile, 11 more COVID-19 patients were today discharged in Jammu reducing number of active Corona cases to just 15.
Jammu region has total of 58 COVID-19 cases. With 11 recoveries today, total number of Corona patients treated and discharged from the different hospitals has gone up to 42. With one death, number of active cases now stands at 15 only. All the active cases are in stable condition, doctors said.
CD Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rajeshwar Sharma said” patients were discharged after they tested negative twice.
Among 11 patients discharged today, five hailed from Udhampur district, all of whom belonged to village Tikri and were family members and relatives of a woman, who was lone Corona casualty in Jammu region.
All four COVID patients of Samba district including three Tablighi Jamaat activists, who had tested positive while putting up at a religious place at Sandi Morh, Purmandal and an Army soldier of Supwal, who was the only jawan to be tested positive for Corona in Jammu region, have been discharged from the hospital after being tested negative twice as per the protocol of declaring a patient fit.
With this, Samba district has become Corona-free and has come at par with Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch districts, which haven’t reported any Corona case so far.
Two other patients discharged from the hospital today hailed from Jammu district. One of them was a Tablighi hailing from Uttar Pradesh but he had tested positive for COVID-19 while putting up at a religious place in Sunjwan on the outskirts of Jammu and has been sent back there. Another discharged person hailed from Jeevan Nagar, Satwari.
Jammu region has now only 15 active Corona cases including eight in Jammu district, three in Udhampur and one each in Rajouri, Kathua, Ramban and Reasi districts.
Reacting to successful recovery of five more Corona patients in Udhampur district, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Dr Piyush Singla tweeted: “With grace of almighty, five more positives of Udhampur recovered today. With this we have now two active cases. We pray for their speedy recovery including one 82-year old case’’.
Dr Singla, through another tweet, said the ground teams are carrying out intensive door-to-door SwasthyaNidhi Prog. 3690 households screened. 103 symptomatic identified. “Based on input 5 have been sampled. We have to cover full district in next 7-10 days’’, he said.
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