Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday directed private clinics in the Union Territory to report all positive and suspected Covid cases to the Health Department.

An official statement said that in exercise of the powers conferred by section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, the J&K government, by the order of Lt Governor, directed the private clinics/nursing homes to report all cases found positive of Covid-19 and also cases suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI)/Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or having radiological findings suggestive of Covid-19 infection for Covid-19 testing forthwith to the Director, Health Services concerned or the Chief Medical Officers.

Non-compliance of the direction shall attract proceedings under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, it warned.