COVID19: All passengers flying in from Leh to be quarantined, says DC Srinagar

Srinagar, Mar 18: Authorities in Kashmir allowed only partial de-boarding of a flight from Leh that landed in Srinagar on Wednesday, owing to the heightening risk of coronavirus pandemic, especially in the Ladakh region.

The authorities added that going forward all passengers flying in from Leh will be mandatorily quarantined in Srinagar.

District Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that an Air India flight that landed in Srinagar Wednesday morning was asked to return and de-board 25 passengers at Leh.

“A Srinagar bound AI flight was returned this morning deboarding 25 passengers at Leh while other 81 who landed later have been quarantined. Henceforth all passengers coming from Leh shall have to quarantined,” the DC tweeted.

Ladakh is bearing the brunt of COVID-19.

Two more people on Wednesday were tested positive in Ladakh, taking the cases of the deadly virus in the Union Territory to eight.

Both the COVID-19 positive patients are the relatives of people who were previously tested positive for the disease.

Speaking to reporters, Rigzin Sampheal, Commissioner Secretary of Ladakh said, “We have received the result of 34 reports of which two people have tested positive for COVID-19. These persons are the relatives of people who were previously reported positive and were kept under quarantine in heart foundation.”

“Both the persons have been transferred in the isolation ward,” he added.

He said the district administration of Leh and Kargil will decide on imposing Section 144 of CrPC to limit the crowd.

“District administration of Leh and Kargil will make a decision on Section 144 of CrPC in order to limit the crowd,” he said.

Sampheal said, “A total of 34 sample reports have been received and the result of 70 samples are awaited.”

A total of 147 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in India so far, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Wednesday.