Govt exempts Army, CAPF personnel from quarantine
Fresh curbs imposed in Doda, Ramban as cases surge
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 1: Jammu reported fourth Corona casualty as an elderly patient suffering with multiple problems died today in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu while 33 more persons including a girl married just a week back, a couple, mother-daughter duo and three patients admitted in the GMC tested positive for the virus taking total number of cases in the region beyond 600 even as 11 patients were treated and discharged.
Following sudden surge in Corona cases in Ramban and Doda districts where 47 and 23 positives respectively were reported yesterday, the district administration today withdrew certain relaxations in opening of shops and movement of people, official sources told the Excelsior.
Click here to watch video
Meanwhile, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) Mayor, who had met Corona positive IAS officer, has proceeded on home quarantine and sampled. Another senior IAS officer, who was secondary contact of the IAS positive, has also been sent on quarantine
In a significant decision, the J&K Government today exempted Defence and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel from compulsory testing and administrative quarantine on their arrival to the Union Territory by train, air or road in the facilities provided by the Government.
“The defence and CAPF personnel will be allowed to proceed to institutional quarantine of their respective Units/Formations as per their internal procedure,” an order issued today by Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam said.
A 72-year-old man from village Tarawan in Doda district who was referred to the GMC Jammu on May 30 following lower respiratory tract infection and septic shock and was admitted in ‘Suspect Area’ of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) tested COVID positive last night, Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh said.
He added that he was sent to COVID Ward but died this afternoon. His body was packed as per the existing protocol for cremation.
With this, death toll due to Coronavirus in Jammu region has gone up to four. Three previous Corona casualties have been reported from Tikri in Udhampur district and Digiana and Trikuta Nagar in Jammu district.
Three more patients admitted in Medicines and Orthopedic Departments in the GMC Jammu have tested positive for Coronavirus. They include a 60-year old from Sunderbani area of Rajouri district, a newly married woman from Belicharana and 56-year old from Anand Nagar, Bohri, who was an employee of SKUAST Jammu. The SKUAST staffer had been admitted for Orthopedic surgery while two others were in the Medicines Ward. All of them have been shifted to COVID Hospitals.
Their contact tracing is on for sampling and quarantine.
The 20-year-old girl of Belicharana under the jurisdiction of Satwari police station in Jammu district who tested positive in the GMC Jammu had developed Corona symptoms. Originally, she belonged to Thathri in Doda district and was married to a Belicharana youth on May 25. Only few members of the family had gone to Thathri for marriage.
Samples of her all family members at Belicharana including husband have been taken while the woman has been shifted to COVID hospital. Police parties from Satwari led by SHO Gurmeet Singh rushed to Belicharana and contained the village.
A young couple from Bishnah in Jammu district, who had returned from New Delhi, by air, also tested positive for COVID-19 today. While the man was under administrative quarantine at Katra, the woman who was pregnant had proceeded to the house of her mother at Kohlpur, Vijaypur. The pregnant woman’s mother has tested negative while samples of other family members have also been taken.
SSP Samba Shakti Pathak said on return, the woman had been asked to proceed to the house of her in-laws at Bishnah for home quarantine as she was pregnant.
“We have registered FIR against woman and her parents for not adhering to the directions and hiding in Samba district without intimating the administration,” Pathak said.
A woman and her daughter hailing from Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district, who had returned by air from New Delhi and were sampled at Jammu, have tested positive for the virus today. Three workers who had returned from different parts of the State and were under administrative quarantine have also tested positive in Kathua district, Deputy Commissioner OP Bhagat said.
A 30-year-old woman from Gumat, Jammu with travel history of Gujarat, 22-year-old-youth from Shiv Nagar and two Army soldiers tested Corona positive in Jammu district.
Meanwhile, Kanak Mandi and Nehru Market in Jammu, where a Corona patient was working as labourer, were sealed today. J&K Bank’s Ambphalla branch was closed and a staffer’s son was tested positive.
Four persons including two truck drivers, one helper and a truck owner, hailing from Paddar and Thakrai villages in Kishtwar district, today tested positive for the virus, District Magistrate Kishtwar Rajinder Singh Tara, who visited Paddar this afternoon, said.
All four villages in Paddar and Thakrai have been sealed and declared as Containment Zones. The positives have been shifted to COVID Hospital, he added.
Three persons from Rajouri were today reported positive for COVID-19. They include 30-year old from Rajouri, 35-year old man from Kalakote and 60-year-old from Sunderbani, two with travel history while the Sunderbani man was suffering from chest related ailments for last two years and was admitted in the Sub District Hospital at Sunderbani. A doctor and three para-medical staff members who had treated the patient at Sunderbani hospital have been sent on quarantine and will be sampled. The positives have been sent to hospitals.
Two persons who tested positive in Udhampur district included a 20-year old boy from village Satrari in Ramnagar tehsil and 21-year-old youth from Ritti. The Ramnagar youth had returned from New Delhi and Ritti boy from Masana, Gujarat. Both of them were under administrative quarantine and have been shifted to the District Hospital Udhampur.
Five more persons today tested in Ramban and one in Doda district. All these six positive cases were reported by the Command Hospital Udhampur, Lt Col Inam Danish Khan, Classified Specialist (Microbiology), said, adding that the hospital has so far conducted 23426 tests and, of them 348 have reported positive.
Meanwhile, district administration in Doda today withdrew relaxations given in opening of non-essential shops and also stopped “unwanted vehicular movement” following sudden rise in COVID cases. Yesterday only, 23 COVID positive cases were reported in Doda.
“Shops selling only essential commodities were allowed to open while vehicular movement in emergency cases was allowed,” sources said, adding the people have been asked not to move out of their houses unnecessarily in view of rise in Coronavirus cases.
The district administration Ramban today also tightened restrictions as 47 cases of Corona were reported yesterday and six today.
“All establishments except those providing essential commodities/Services having valid pass from the competent authority will remain shut from June 1 to 9. No person will venture out of his home except in case of urgency. However, in no case, more than three or more persons will assemble at any public place in towns/villages of the district,” an order issued by the District Magistrate Ramban said.
It added that no movement across Mohallas/Towns will be allowed for purchase of essential commodities and people will take essentials from the nearby shops. No public or private transport will ply in the district except to deal with emergency.
Meanwhile, a civilian who had escaped from the quarantine centre at Ghagwal in Samba district was brought back by police. A FIR has been reigtered against him at Ghagwal police station.
A total of 11 Corona patients were treated and discharged today including two in Jammu district, one in Ramban, five in Kathua, one in Udhampur and two in Samba.
Six of them were discharged from the Chest Diseases Hospital, Bakshi Nagar, Jammu, Medical Superintendent Dr Rajeshwar Sharma said.
As per the official figures, Jammu region has 602 Corona cases including 467 active. There have been 132 recoveries and four deaths.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
