Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR Jan 6: The administration today said that no Omicron cases have been detected in Srinagar, and that they are better prepared than in the previous two waves of Coronavirus as the administration has improved health infrastructure.
In response to the increasing cases of Omicron variant across the country, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Aijaz Assad, said that the threat of the new variant is genuine because the virus knows no boundaries and may spread anywhere.
“We are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases all over the world. We are also seeing an increase in the Valley, which necessitates rigorous adherence to the COVID-19 protocol. I believe the virus is not new to us, as we have been fighting it for the past two years. The time has come for everyone to take responsibility and understand that if we breach the virus, it will not spare us”, he warned.
He said that the samples they have submitted so far shows no evidence of Omicron. “We have sent numerous samples, but no evidence of Omicron has yet been discovered here. We are still waiting for some reports, and hoping they will be negative as well”, he said.
He said that they are in a better position to deal with the COVID-19 danger now that their infrastructure has improved over the last two years. “In terms of preparedness, we have over a dozen new oxygen plants in Srinagar at various tertiary care institutions, as well as district hospitals and PHCs where oxygen plants have been put. So, we are in good shape on the oxygen front,” he remarked.
In addition, he said, they have a 500-bed hospital that was not available in the previous two waves, as well as a liquid medical oxygen plant. “The staff is alert to deal with the eventualities”, he added.
He urged people to follow the COVID guidelines. “Everyone is aware of the COVID guidelines. If one person is in the market without a mask, he might be dangerous to the entire market”, he explained.
When asked about the availability of staff at Srinagar’s 500-bed COVID hospital, he said: “We have enough staff at the 500-bed hospital in Srinagar, and fresh medical staff will be made available when patient load increases. The hospital is linked to the Medical College Srinagar,” he said.
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