Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 19: The administration in Kashmir today received 10, 000 Rapid Antibody Testing (RAT) kits for 1.77 lakh population living in 83 Red Zones even as testing gathered movement for last one week.
In Kashmir, there are 295 corona positive cases and 83 areas have been declared Red Zones which has a population of 1,77,623. There are 184 Buffer Zones in the Valley with a population of 3,18,018.
Bandipora district where 81 tested positive for COVID-19 has 12 Red Zones with a population of 48, 969. It has 20 Buffer Zones with population of 74,801.
Kupwara district where 31 tested positive for COVID-19 has 7 Red Zones with a population of 41,227. It has 16 Buffer Zones with population of 69, 372. Srinagar district where 78 tested positive for COVID-19 has 19 Red Zones with a population of 22, 763. It has 54 Buffer Zones with population of 58, 799.
Baramulla district where 44 tested positive for COVID-19 has 14 Red Zones with a population of 14,785. It has 5 Buffer Zones with population of 11, 486.
Budgam district where 13 tested positive for COVID-19 has 8 Red Zones with a population of 12,498. It has 19 Buffer Zones with population of 39,296. Pulwama district where 3 tested positive for COVID-19 has 7 Red Zones with a population of 8,626. It has 33 Buffer Zones with population of 31,606.
Kulgam district where 6 tested positive for COVID-19 has 3 Red Zones with a population of 7,824. It has 7 Buffer Zones with population of 6,547.
Anantnag district where 3 tested positive for COVID-19 has 2 Red Zones with a population of 7,680. It has 3 Buffer Zones. Ganderbal district where 14 tested positive for COVID-19 has 3 Red Zones with a population of 3,253. It has 5 Buffer Zones with population of 8,111.
Shopian district where 22 tested positive for COVID-19 has 8 Red Zones with a population of around 10, 000. It has 27 buffer zones with population of 18,000.
The administration today got 10000 kits for testing the population in Red Zones. With these kits the only 5.5 percent population in the red zones will be tested for anti-bodies. Director Health Services
Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo, however, said that they have been assured that Jammu and Kashmir will get 80,000 kits for Rapid testing. He said that they will get more kits soon.
Medical Superintendent of SKIMS hospital, Dr Farooq Jan, told Excelsior that they have increased the testing capacity at SKIMS laboratory and they can do maximum of 400 COVID-19 tests per day. He said that if they get automatic RNA extractor, the testing capacity can be increased to 1000 per day.
Head of Rapid Response Team (RRT) for COVID-19 at GMC Srinagar, Dr Mohammad Salim Khan, told Excelsior that they have increased the testing capacity to 600 per day and are in the process of increasing
it further. They said the automatic RNA extractor can increase the testing capacity of the GMC laboratory.
Dr Reyaz Untoo, Principal SKIMS Medical College Bemina said that they have been asked to start the COVID-19 testing. He said that they need ICMR authorization for testing. “We can start with 40 tests per day initially but can increase it to 80. We have also asked for automatic RNA extractor and if it is provided we can do 400 tests per day”, he said.
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