Wearing masks mandatory in Srinagar
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 29 : Sixteen more people today tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus in Kashmir valley, taking number of the COVID-19 patients in J&K to 581 while district administration in Srinagar has made wearing of face masks mandatory.
Six people tested positive at Viral Diagnostic Lab of SKIMS Soura including four from Budgam and one each from Baramulla and Kulgam districts today.
At the COVID-19 testing laboratory at Chest Disease hospital Dalgate, 10 people tested positive today including nine from Anantnag district and one from Srinagar.
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Nodal Officer at Government Medical College Srinagar, Dr Mohammad Salim Khan, told Excelsior that 410 tests were conducted at the CD laboratory and 10 tested positive. He said that 190 samples are under process in the laboratory and 550 more samples were received today.
Among 9 new cases in Anantnag district, six are from Kharpora Larnoo, the native village of a woman who died along with twin babies last week. They include two girls and equal number of women aged 13, 16, 40 and 43 besides two men aged 26 and 65 years.
Three other cases from Anantnag district include a 16-year-old girl, a 45-year-old woman and a 34-year man.
The four cases from Budgam, are from Ratsun village and include two women aged 26 and 46 besides two men aged 35 and 40 years. All of them were contacts of a previous patient of the village.
Srinagar reported one more case today as 40-year-old man from Bemina having travel history tested positive.
A 45-year-old woman from Baramulla who is a contact of the previous COVID-19 patient tested positive today.
In Kulgam, a 65-year-old woman, a resident of Awoora village, tested positive for coronavirus today. She is a contact of a previous COVID-19 positive case.
With these fresh cases, Bandipora has now 127 COVID-19 positive cases, followed by 87 in Srinagar, 73 Baramulla, 71 Shopian, 71 Anantnag, 49 Kupwara, 18 Budgam, 15 Ganderbal, 7 Kulgam and 5 in Pulwama.
And out of 581 positive cases in J&K, 381 are active positive, 192 have recovered and 8 have died.
And today, 11 COVID patients from Kashmir who had recovered were discharged from various hospitals. Out of 18450 test results available, 17869 samples have tested as negative and 581 positive.
Government has enlisted 68846 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases for surveillance which include 6440 persons under administrative quarantine, 244 in Hospital Quarantine, 381 in hospital isolation and 8663 under home surveillance. Besides, 53110 persons have completed their surveillance period.
And the lockdown across Kashmir continued for the 42nd 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.
And District administration in Srinagar has made it mandatory for all residents of Srinagar to wear masks from May 1st and any violation in this regard will be treated as offence under Disaster Management Act.
Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, in an order issued here said that wearing face masks is mandatory for all Srinagarities from May 1. “It shall be mandatory to wear Face Mask /Face-covering at all public places including public transport, offices, shopping or market places etc w.e.f 1st May/2020. Medical grade masks which are strictly for hospital use shall however be avoided for general use,” read the order.
The order read that all Government Offices /Private Establishments /Shops/ Mandis etc shall put in place arrangements for Handwash/Sanitizers/ Soap etc as per the requirement.
“Information promoting hygiene / handwash shall be displayed at all such places. This shall be applicable for all managed public places and institutions as well.” DC has also directed the nodal department to make available 15 lakh masks, which have been produced, for the public.
“Assistant Commissioner Development, Srinagar shall make available for public use 15 lakh masks produced, as per Government order, through Rural Development Department, Social Welfare Department, SHGS and other groups, after approval from competent authority,” read the order.
The DC has also directed the Nodal department to distribute a pack of 5 masks per family across district Srinagar.
The order also read that these direction shall remain in force for a period of 2 months and any violation of this order shall attract penal action u/s 51 of The Disaster Management and u/s 188 IPC, including fine.
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