Union Territory of Ladakh has earned the ‘distinction’ of being officially declared as out from ‘hotspot’ category for Coronavirus by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under prescribed norms. It may be recalled that Ladakh was the first ones among the places in India having been struck by the deadly virus due to which entry of people from that area into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir had been suspended in order to prevent the spread of the virus but as a result of observing lockdown measures strictly, the spread of infection was contained and finally halted as out of 18 total cases of the carriers of the virus, 14 were successfully treated and sent back to homes from the hospitals while rest of the four, still under treatment, were doing well and were reported to be stable. Since the concerned authorities both from the Union as well as UT Governments keep on assessing the situation on day to day basis and both the districts of the UT Ladakh, namely Leh and Kargil, having become eligible for getting reverted to non hotspot category , they have been declared so and whole of the Ladakh now is a non- hotspot UT.
The positive and encouraging information about the developments in the fight against the pandemic have been duly made public by the local administration and at the same time, since relaxations in certain types of select activities have been announced with effect from April 20, an advisory from the local administration having been issued, has called upon people to continue to follow the guidelines to be observed during the currency of the said relaxation. That obviously has been enjoined upon the people to ensure the gains achieved were consolidated and sustained as well .Since the behaviour of the virus in post recovery period is still eluding definite projections and calculations, it was imperative to remain fully watchful as also within the ‘rigours’ of the provisions of the advisory issued. Embarking upon opening up gradually in a cautious and calculated manner and kick starting certain activities of vital importance, UT Government of Ladakh like Jammu and Kashmir too is currently under relaxations in lockdown in order to ensure reliable and sure-fire supply chain of essential commodities and services, strictly under the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is not that the exercise of having more suspected samples tested is not being done in Ladakh but the encouraging developments are that during the last few days, as many as 88 samples, 71 from Leh and 17 from Kargil districts respectively, received by the NCDC , New Delhi were found all negative for COVID- 19. Moreover, Achinathang village which was in the Containment Zone has come out of it due to no fresh case reported from anywhere there. However, no overambitious initiatives like opening up of any schools should be thought about as yet unless the situation further improved and gains duly consolidated. Administration, however, must duly attend to ensuring that adequate arrangements were made for providing essential commodities which at many places in Ladakh, were found in short supply due to restricted movements of trucks. However, now since Srinagar-Leh National Highway has been opened in a groundbreaking record of days in clearing snow, there would be expectedly smooth movement of trucks carrying essential and even non essential goods throughout the UT of Ladakh.
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