Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 21: The fears of coronavirus spread mounted in Kashmir with the arrival of thousands of workers from across the country.
The Jammu and Kashmir has already declared it epidemic and denied entry of tourists to the Valley. However, the non-local workers who come from distant places of mainland India continue to pour into the valley unabatedly. The presence of newly arrived workers in several localities of the Valley has intensified the fears of an outbreak.
After the first case of COVID-19 was reported on Thursday, the Valley is in a state of lockdown. All the shops, business establishments, schools, and colleges are closed to prevent the spread of the infection. However, the presence of non-locals has added to the fears of residents.
“If they have banned tourist why are they allowing these workers to come here. Are not they putting lives of people at risk by allowing them to roam freely in the localities,” asked Aijaz Ahmad, a local from Shopian.
Unofficial figures suggested that nearly 40,000 workers have arrived in the Valley this year and had already entered communities where they live in rented accommodations. Even the train services were suspended from Friday, officials said, majority of laborers manage to enter into the valley by making their own arrangements of transportation from Jammu.
The residents questioned the screening facilities of the Government along the National Highway. They said a minor lapse can put the entire Valley vulnerable to this dangerous infection as the workers live in communities along with the locals. “The workers have been coming here for several areas and live with us here. An infected person can directly get in touch with the local population and once that happens the entire village would get involved,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said.
The residents explained that the non-locals workers are scattered across the Valley and it would be difficult to trace an infected person once they are here. “This makes it dangerous. The workers are present in every village, market, and almost every public space. Their entry can get the whole valley into trouble,” a local said.
While pointing towards lapses in screening in the first positive case, some locals asked when lapses can happen at the airport how can Government assure screening on roads. “Had they screened that women successfully we would not have been in such a state. When such a thing can happen in the airport where details of everyone are available, it can happen anywhere,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said, adding that government should stop their entry for the time being.
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