At 2164, J&K sees spike in COVID-19 cases, 28 deaths reported

As India replaced Turkey as the world’s ninth-worst COVID-19 hit country with over 1,74,000 infections and about 5,000 deaths, the number of coronavirus positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir is also touching the 2200-mark with 28 deaths.

J&K administration’s latest bulletin on novel coronavirus revealed that at least 128 new positive cases were reported on Friday, thus taking the total number of cases in the region to 2164. One more death was reported from the Kashmir Valley on the same day taking the overall tally of deaths due to the pandemic to 28, most of them in Kashmir.

Of 2164 cases, the administration said that 875 persons have recovered from the infection. According to official figures, 1261 are active positive cases.

Dr. Suhail Naik, a consultant pediatrician and president, Doctors Association of Kashmir (DAK), said that a lot of caution ought to be exercised with a big chunk of travellers reaching Kashmir via air travel or railways. According to him, all incoming travellers should be treated as COVID positive unless proven otherwise with proper testing while following social distancing protocol.

Three steps are important to achieve this objective.

Related news: Jammu and Kashmir reports one fresh COVID death, 37 new cases

“First, all incoming travellers have to be properly tested; two, those who test positive have to be hospitalised and follow the quarantine protocol and medication; and three, those who test negative must strictly follow home quarantine and avoid contact with the family and community members,” Dr. Naik told The Federal.

He said that if this protocol is violated there is a danger of community spread staring us in face.

Sources in the Department of J&K Health Services informed The Federal that from May 25 to May 29 at least 834 travellers have landed in Srinagar from various parts of the globe. Amongst the travellers who landed in Srinagar on May 29, seven individuals tested positive. Of them five were travelling from Riyadh to Srinagar while two were in a Srinagar-bound flight from New Delhi.

The protocol at the Srinagar Airport is that all incoming travellers are first registered and later screened for the coronavirus infection. Those who test positive are hospitalised and taken for administrative quarantine while those who test negative are advised strict home quarantine.

Officials of Health Department and J&K Administration are together managing the COVID situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Health professionals say that the virus after reaching Kashmir through individuals with a history of foreign travel has showed its sustenance with very high communicability even when preventive measures are being taken during the ongoing phase of the lockdown.

“There is a trend that many negative tests turn positive in the second round of testing. Lot of caution needs to be exercised. Even if you test negative it is recommended that you follow home quarantine and avoid contact with the family,” Dr. Naik said.

Top health professionals attribute the steep rise in positive cases in the Kashmir Valley to three factors: One, the arrival of Kashmiri professionals and students from various parts of the globe; two, aggressive testing; and three, the possible ‘community spread’ of the virus.

What is worrying is the fact that recently about 20 air travellers have tested positive on their arrival at the Srinagar Airport.

On the other hand, J&K administration is planning some relaxation in Kashmir beginning June 1.

Related news: COVID-19: Over 56,000 people under surveillance in Jammu and Kashmir

“To begin with it (J&K administration) has decided to allow the social sector of the district to start operating from June 1,” an official statement said, adding, “The Srinagar administration is looking to permit more sectors to operate after the end of the current phase of the lockdown enforced in the district (Srinagar) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The statement said that “Representatives of Handlooms & Handicrafts, Sericulture, Fisheries, Horticulture, Agriculture among other departments who were all in the meeting shared their concerns and suggestions as to how expansion of operations is a need of the hour and how it be done in an appropriate manner.”

The health bulletin further said that out of 156010 test results available, 153846 samples have been tested as negative till May 29, 2020. Additionally, to date, 158773 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which included 34495 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 54 in hospital quarantine, 1261 in hospital isolation and 41525 under home surveillance.

Besides, 81410 persons have completed their surveillance period.