Udhampur Corona-free, Jammu reports another case
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: The UT Government today ordered imposition of night curfew in Jammu and Kashmir while as there was absolutely no impact on ground about yesterday’s relaxations given by the administration in Orange and Green Zones comprising seven districts of Jammu region with restrictions persisting as they were earlier dashing hopes of the people especially poor rehriwallahs and small shopkeepers dealing with non-essentials items who were hoping resumption of their business activities as they were worst hit by about month and half long lockdown.
Meanwhile, an old man from Ashok Nagar, Satwari today tested positive for COVID-19 in a private laboratory of Jammu taking Corona cases in the region to 62 and active cases to eight. This was after nearly 20 days that Jammu district reported a COVID case as its all previous 26 patients have been treated and discharged.
UT Government spokesman and Principal Secretary Planning Development and Monitoring Department Rohit Kansal announced imposition of night curfew in all areas of Jammu and Kashmir through a tweet.
“Prohibitions (Curfew) on movement in all areas between 7 pm and 7 am. No movement without passes. Medical emergencies exempted,” Kansal tweeted.
Last night, the detailed guidelines released by Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam for lockdown 3.0 from May 4-17 had stated that movement of people except for emergencies will remain prohibited from 7 pm to 7 am.
An order issued by the District Magistrate Jammu Sushma Chouhan said the movement of individuals for all non-essential activities between 7 pm to 7 am in the territorial limits of district Jammu will remain restricted. Other District Magistrates have also come out with similar orders.
The Deputy Commissioner Kathua has also imposed restriction across the district from 7 pm to 7 am under Section 144 CrPc.
Udhampur district today also became COVID free as its two remaining patients have been treated for Coronavirus. Udhampur had total of 20 patients. An 82-year old woman from Narsoo, Chenani has been treated for Corona and was today shifted to non-COVID hospital for treatment of other ailments while another person of Ramnagar, who is putting up at Lower Roop Nagar, Jammu and had become Corona positive at ASCOMS Sidhra has also been discharged from the GMC Jammu.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Dr Piyush Singla said 1500 samples were collected in a single day at Udhampur as the district has been collecting samples of Udhampur, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts. All labourers, workers and others coming from outside are being subjected to sample testing in Udhampur, he added.
“The district administration has set up 56 quarantine centers with capacity of 4378 persons at different locations in the district and effective arrangements have been put in place for the functioning of the centres,” Dr Singla said.
He said 11 teams of Health Department are working at different locations to collect samples and more than 2400 people of the four districts have returned from outside J&K. The samples are being sent for testing at Command Hospital Udhampur and Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.
The administration has also set up transit quarantine-cum-sample collection centre at Excise and Taxation Office in Nagrota where all people coming from Kashmir Valley in unregulated movement will be kept and subjected to sample testing. They will be allowed to enter Jammu only if they are tested Corona-negative and if found positive they will be straightway sent to COVID hospitals in Jammu..
Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nagrota Mohan Lal Sharma said 11 persons were today subjected to sample testing at transit quarantine-cum-sample collection centre.
Number of people rang up the Excelsior and questioned the Government decision to impose curfew from 7 pm to 7 am at a time when situation on COVID-19 front was reasonably well compared to past especially in the Jammu region where Udhampur district has become COVID-free while Jammu got just one case today. Doda, Kishtwar and Poonch didn’t have even a single case while there was one Corona positive case each in Kathua, Ramban, Reasi and Rajouri.
Reports received from four Orange Zone districts including Reasi, Ramban, Udhampur and Rajouri and three Green Zone districts comprising Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar districts said nothing much changed in the districts as lockdown 3.0 began today with restrictions continued as they were in lockdown 2.0.
Senior officers in some of the districts admitted that till the workers from outside Jammu and Kashmir are reaching in the districts, the restrictions will remain in force but relaxations will be given gradually as per the UT Government order issued last night.
However, they said, some relaxations could be given in the upcoming days.
Excelsior received several distress calls from rehriwallahs, small shopkeepers and other daily wage earners that they were at the verge of starvation if their business activities aren’t resumed shortly.
Meanwhile, an 85-year old man hailing from Ashok Nagar, Satwari was today tested positive for COVID-19 in a private laboratory. The family had opted for Corona test of the man as advised by a private doctor for his Orthopedic treatment. He had travel history of Amritsar in March.
However, the doctors have decided to hold his fresh test in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu tomorrow for confirmation.
With this, Jammu district which had become Corona-free last week has again joined the list of districts having Corona patients. Jammu district has total of 27 COVID-19 positive cases, 26 of whom have already been treated and discharged. Besides Jammu, Rajouri, Kathua, Ramban and Reasi also have one active positive case each. Samba has three active cases.
Jammu region has total eight active positive Corona cases now as against total of 62 as 53 patients have been treated and discharged while there has been one death.
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