Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 19 : Twelve more persons tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus today taking the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Kashmir to 299 and Jammu and Kashmir to 354.
Of the eight cases in Kashmir, six were confirmed at SKIMS Soura and two at Government Medical College Srinagar laboratories. Six samples which tested positive at SKIMS include four from Kupwara’s Muqam-e-Shahwali besides one each from Botengo area of Sopore and Bandipora.
The two positive cases from Bandipora include 19-year-old youth with travel history to Uttar Pradesh and 28-year old man from Gund Kaiser in Bandipora district who is a contact of the previous patient.
The four positive cases from Kupwara are all contacts of previous COVID-19 patients and include 62-year-old man, 45-year-old policeman, a 23-year-old youth man and 17-year-old boy.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Anshul Garg said that all those who tested positive are asymptomatic and contact tracing is underway for aggressive testing in the Containment Zone already expanded to cover 19,000 people as a precautionary measure “Other 99 samples of Kupwara have tested negative. However, sampling and testing to continue in other Red Zones as well”, he said.
Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura Dr Farooq Jan said that 450 samples have been taken recently and of them 275 are still under process. “Among the reports received today, six came positive,” he said.
The two persons who tested positive at GMC Srinagar Laboratory include a 31-year-old policeman from Malpora, Sheeri Baramulla who was posted at a quarantine facility at Baitul Qareem in Bemina where several persons turned tested positive. The other is a 45-year-old woman from Batpora area of Kulgam and she had also contracted it from COVID-19 patient.
Four more tested positive for coronavirus in Kashmir. Three of them are from Bandipora and one from Baramulla.
And five people who were under treatment in JLNM hospital Rainawari were discharged after they tested negative.
Bandipora now has 81 COVID-19 patients, highest in all districts, followed by 78 Srinagar, 44 in Baramulla, 31 in Kupwara,22 in Shopian, 14 in Ganderbal, 13 in Budgam, 6 in Kulgam and three each in Pulwama and Anantnag districts.
There are 350 COVID-19 positive cases—55 in Jammu and 295 in Kashmir. Five people have died so far in J&K while 51—13 in Jammu and 38 in Kashmir have recovered and have been discharged, leaving the active cases in Kashmir to 253 and 41 in Jammu.
Administration said that 61331 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which includes 5939 persons in-home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 289 in Hospital Isolation, 264 in hospital Quarantine and 23868 under home surveillance. Besides, 30966 persons have completed their surveillance period.
And the lockdown across Kashmir continued for the 32nd day today with authorities acting tough against the violators of Government orders issued to prevent spread of Coronavirus.
Police and paramilitary troopers were deployed on roads and they had erected concertina wire to block the roads to prevent movement of people and vehicles.
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