6 more test positive of COVID-19

Total rises to 20; 5763 under surveillance

28/03/2020

200 additional isolation beds readied at Gandhi Nagar hospital
Imam booked for lockdown violation

JAMMU, Mar 27: The Government today informed that 5763 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance and, so far, 20 cases have tested positive in Jammu and Kashmir (18 active positive, 1 recovered and 1 death).
Principal Secretary (Planning Commission) RohitKansaltweeted # COVID19 #JammuAnd Kashmir As we end the day, two more positive cases confirmed -both from Rajouri District. One a family member of yesterday's confirmed case, the other has a contact history with a confirmed (now deceased) case. #Stillnotlate #Break-thechain@diprjk. Earlier he tweeted# COVID19 #Jammu AndKashmir4 more positive cases in Kashmir; all from Srinagar district - 2 have travel history abroad; the other 2 have travel history outside J&K as part of religious congregation @diprjk @HealthMedicalE1@MoHFW_INDIA. According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) 3136 persons have been kept under home quarantine (including facilities operated by Govt.) while as 169 are in hospital quarantine.
Persons who are under home surveillance stand at 1877 while as 581 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period. The Bulletin further said that 423 samples have been sent for testing of which 400 tested as negative. The bulletin further stated that 05 reports are awaited till March 27, 2020.
However, number of isolation beds has been increased to 290 at the government hospital in Gandhinagar here to treat COVID-19 patients, an official said on Friday.
Preparations are underway to set up additional isolation rooms and wards, and intensive care unit beds, Financial Commissioner, Health & Medical Education Department, AtalDulloo said. Four more persons, two with travel history to abroad, have tested positive for the coronavirus in the Union Territory, taking the total number of cases to 18. The newly constructed block of the Gandhinagar hospital will have a capacity of 200 isolation beds. This is in addition to the 90 isolation beds at the hospital, Dulloo said.
Dulloo was at the hospital to take stock of works in the new block that is being converted entirely to treat COVID-19 patients.
The 200-bed newly constructed block will be made functional within a couple of days, Dulloo said.
The decision for dedicating the Gandhinagar hospital and other associated hospitals of the Government Medical College, Jammu, for treating COVID-19 cases was taken during a recent meeting to augment isolation facilities, he said.
The government has also ordered suspension of non-urgent operations and other treatments to free up capacity to deal with COVID-19 cases.
"We have decided to dedicate the Gandhinagar hospital, chest diseases hospital and psychiatry hospital in Jammu entirely for COVID-19 patients.
However, we have to ensure that our critical care services in other hospitals must not suffer, Dulloo said.
He said that other operations of these hospitals have to be reduced in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. Police booked several persons, including the Imam of a mosque in Reasi district for violation of the lockdown orders amid the coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
An FIR was registered against Molvi Mohammad Zafar, Imam of Jama Masjid (Nowabad) and others for violating orders, banning religious gatherings, imposed by the district magistrate in connection with coronavirus outbreak, officials said.
In another incident, a case was registered against a shopkeeper - Ramesh Kumar - who had kept his shop open at NaiBasti in Reasi in violation of the orders, they added.
In the last three days, one person has died and 11 people tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the daily media bulletin on novel coronavirus.
A 65-year-old Maulvi from Hyderpora area of Srinagar city died on Thursday, becoming the first fatality in the UT due to COVID-19.
Of the 5,763 people, 3,136 have been kept under home quarantine, while 169 are in hospital quarantine, the bulletin said, adding that the rest of them have been sent to other government facilities.
A total of 1,877 people are still under home surveillance, while 581 persons have completed their surveillance period, it said.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has urged people to take the lockdown seriously and follow the instructions laid out by doctors to protect themselves from the deadly disease.
Meanwhile, restrictions on the movement and assembly of people to contain the spread of the coronavirus continued in Kashmir for the ninth day on Friday as most mosques and shrines were shut to avoid large gatherings for congregational prayers, officials said.
The curbs were tightened across the valley in the wake of detection of more COVID-19 cases, they added.
Many roads have been sealed off in the valley and barriers erected by the security forces to check the movement of people.
Police vehicles fitted with public address systems went around the residential areas of the city and elsewhere in the valley till late on Thursday as well as in the morning hours of Friday to announce that restrictions under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed.
The police were also using drones in some parts of the city to announce the restrictions on the movement of people, the officials said.
Most of the mosques and shrines across the valley, including those in the summer capital here, were closed on the appeal of the administration to avoid large gatherings for congregational prayers on Friday, they added.
While Prime Minister NarendraModi announced the 21-day countrywide lockdown on Tuesday evening, the Union Territory administration here had announced a lockdown across Jammu and Kashmir till March 31 on Sunday as part of its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The administration said essential services, including healthcare personnel, were exempted from the restrictions. It asked people to cooperate and warned of action for violating the prohibitory orders.
The district administrations have put in place a mechanism to ensure uninterrupted supplies and deliveries of essential services to the general public. Essential commodities will be home-delivered to the residents as part of the mechanism.
However, there have been reports of violations by people at several places across the valley, following which the police have taken action by effecting arrests and seizing vehicles. The markets across the valley were shut and public transport was off the roads with only pharmacies and groceries allowed to open, the officials said.
Educational institutions across Kashmir have been closed, while all public places including gymnasiums, parks, clubs and restaurants were shut down more than a week before the lockdown announced by the prime minister. Restrictions were first imposed in many parts of the valley on Thursday last week to contain the spread of the virus. The measures were taken after a 67-year-old woman from the Khanyar area of the city, who had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 16 after performing Umrah, tested positive for COVID-19.
The number of coronavirus cases has gone up to 10 in the valley, while the figure for the Union Territory is 13.
One patient has recovered from the disease in Kashmir, while another one succumbed at a hospital here on Thursday morning.

Photo Gallery

BSE Sensex

NSE Nifty