COVID-19 PANDEMIC: Four more test positive in Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 25: A day after three persons, including the Srinagar resident who had attended a religious event, were tested positive for coronavirus, the J&K government Wednesday said that four more persons who came in contact with the man were tested positive in Kashmir.

In his tweet, J&K Government’s spokesman Rohit Kansal said all four persons are from Bandipora.

“Preliminary findings suggest that they were in close contact of Srinagar patient who tested positive yesterday. All five reported to have participated together in a religious event,” Kansal tweeted.

With the fresh ones, the total number of positive cases in Kashmir has reached to eight, including the first case of a woman who, as per the government, has recovered.

Jammu has already reported three positive cases taking the total number of such cases in J&K to 11.

Sources told The Kashmir Monitor that the four persons who were tested positive for the virus are all from Hajin area of North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

“Two more persons who were in contact with the ones who have tested positive have been rushed to SKIMS Srinagar,” sources added.

Chief Medical Officer Bandipora, Dr Tajamul Hussain said that it may be a long chain as these infected people participated in religious events in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir and have come into contact with number of people.

“We are trying to identify all, who came into contact with them,” he said.

He said that two persons of a Bandipora family were shifted in ambulances to SKIMS Srinagar, as they were in close touch with the four infected persons.

Reports added that after receiving an input that a Bandipora Imam was also in close contact with these infected patients, police detained him immediately.

“The samples of the Imam will be collected and will be sent to laboratory. He has been kept in Isolation,” reports added.

Sources from District Administration Bandipora revealed that the infected persons were in close touch with Srinagar patient and all are associated with Tableegi Jamaat.

These infected persons have spent a couple of days at a Darul Uloom in Samba district of Jammu region. They have also spent 10 days each at Hajin and Ajas areas of Bandipora district.

They said that family members of the infected persons have been quarantined and some of them shifted to hospitals.

As the news broke, Samba Administration quarantined over eight persons in a local hospital.

All these eight persons were part of the religious event, in which five people who are tested positive in Kashmir were present.

“After receiving information that four new cases surfaced in Bandipora and recently the patients were present in a Samba seminary, we without taking any chances, quarantined 8 persons and are looking for those who also participated in that religious event,” said Deputy Commissioner Samba.

Meanwhile, the Government in its daily bulletin informed that 5124 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance and, so far, 11 cases tested positive  (10 active positive and 01 recovered) in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to the Bulletin 3061 persons have been kept under home quarantine while as 80 are in hospital quarantine.

Persons who are under home surveillance stand at 1477 while as 506 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period.

The Bulletin further said that 326 samples have been sent for testing of which 294 tested as negative while as 21 reports are awaited till March 25.