4 jawans, 3 air travelers among 26 test +ve
*Arrivals recede at Lakhanpur, rise at Airport
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 29: The Railways is working on a proposal to shortly run three-four more trains for Jammu and Kashmir as movement of `Shramik Specials’ to Udhampur from different parts of the country to transport stranded persons of J&K has virtually come to an end with no train reaching Udhampur for last four days even as 26 more persons, mostly with travel history, tested positive for COVID-19 today taking total cases in the region to 436.
Seven persons including four Army soldiers, who had travelled by train and three civilians, who reached here by air, today tested positive in Jammu district.
Official sources told the Excelsior that in the absence of any major demand, no ‘Shramik Special’ train has landed at Udhampur Airport for the last four days while rush of stranded persons travelling by buses and private vehicles from Lakhanpur has also come down considerably with just 1862 persons crossing the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir during last 48 hours.
“In such scenario, the Railways authorities in New Delhi were mulling running of three to four more regular trains to Jammu, Udhampur and Katra Railway Stations in the next few days,” they said noting that presently only one regular train is running between New Delhi to Jammu.
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However, after lockdown 4.0 ends on May 31, the Railways could increase in number of regular trains, sources said. Three-four trains could be split among three major stations of Jammu region including Jammu, Udhampur and Katra, they added.
A final decision is expected to be taken shortly by the Railways Ministry.
Seven flights, meanwhile, today landed at Jammu Airport-three each from New Delhi and Srinagar. While 302 passengers reached Jammu in six flights, 389 departed, Airport Director Pravat Ranjan Beuria said. Number of arrivals and departures was highest today since the flights started operating this Monday.
At Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, only 1862 stranded persons of the Union Territory entered during past 48 hours taking total number of persons to reach their homes after quarantine to 90,695 from this particular route, DC Kathua OP Bhagat said.
From Katra, one train departed for Odisha and Jharkhand carrying 911 migrant workers, Nodal Officer Ramesh Kumar, CEO Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) said.
Meanwhile, three persons including a 19-year-old boy and his 64-year old grandfather, both hailing from Gandhi Nagar, Jammu who had travelled by air from New Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19. A 23-year old youth from Roop Nagar, who was also an air traveler, has too tested Corona positive.
Four Army soldiers, one of them hailing from Bihar and three others, who were under quarantine at Akhnoor after reaching Jammu by train, have tested positive for COVID-19 and have been admitted in the Military Hospital.
Poonch district today reported 11 Corona positive cases including a youth from village Dara Dullian who had tested negative in the first report and was sent home but was found positive in re-sampling.
The youth had been sampled at Railway Station Jammu on his arrival from New Delhi and after administrative quarantine of couple of days was sent home as his report came negative. He was re-sampled in random sampling and today he reported positive for the virus.
However, he was putting up with his family. Now, his family members have been kept in isolation for sampling while the youth has been sent to hospital. The village Dara Dullian is being declared as Containment Zone.
Of 13 positive cases of Poonch district, 11 had travel history of Mumbai and two New Delhi. Four of them hailed from village Bedar Mandi and rest from Kallar Morha, Qasba, Bunikath and Chaiti Mandi. However, barring the youth of Dara Dullian, all others were under administrative quarantine.
Six persons hailing from Rajouri district, five of whom had returned from outside the Union Territory and another from Pulwama district of South Kashmir, and were under administrative quarantine, today tested Corona positive.
Two of them belonged to Rajouri and one each to Manjakote, Khandli, Thannamandi and Kondi.
They all have been shifted to the COVID hospital.
Three persons have tested positive for the virus in Samba district. They included an inhabitant of Raghu Chak, another from Supwal and a driver from Katra, all of whom were under administrative quarantine at Samba.
A 24-year old youth from Ramnagar tehsil in Udhampur district has also tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, three Coronavirus patients were today treated and discharged from the Government Medical College (GMC) Kathua after testing negative twice for COVID.
On being discharged, the doctors handed over them specially designed kits with masks and sanitizers for use at homes.
One patient each was discharged from Jammu and Rajouri after being treated for the virus.
As per the official document, Jammu region now has total 436 Corona patients including 332 active cases. As many as 101 patients have recovered and discharged from the hospitals while there have been three deaths.
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