Coronavirus: Kashmir reports 3rd death, J&K cases rises to 125

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported one death and 15 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a development that causes the union territory’s infection tally to climb to 125 cases with three deaths.

A 50-year-old man from Gund Jahangir village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district was tested positive hours after his death at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital Srinagar on Sunday night.

“125 cases in all now; 118 active cases; 24 in Jammu Division, 94 in Kashmir. 6 new cases in Jammu division today, 9 in Kashmir. Four recovered and three deaths,” said an official statement issued by the Government said.

The Bandipora man was admitted with symptoms of pneumonia on Monday at SMHS hospital, where doctors took his samples for testing. In the meantime, his condition worsened, SMHS Medical Superintendent Dr Nazir Choudhary said.

“His body was kept in the hospital until his test was confirmed positive for the CoVID-19,” officials said.

At least 35,243 travellers and people in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance in the union territory. This number includes 10,556 persons in home quarantine, 615 in hospital quarantine, 103 in hospital isolation and 17,506 under home surveillance.

Besides, 6,463 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period.

Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said 1,708 samples have been sent for testing to date of which 1,583 have tested as negative, and 16 reports were awaited.

As coronavirus cases are on the rise in Jammu and Kashmir, health authorities have implemented a cluster containment strategy, by creating red and buffer zones to deal with the contagion.

At least 43 localities in Kashmir and 13 in Jammu Division have been declared as red zones after they witnessed more than two cases over the same space and time. These zones comprise a population of nearly 1.5 lakh.

“The cluster containment zones are created after we find more than two cases at the same place and time. It’s aimed to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by controlling the movement of people in and out of these zones, early detection of cases, breaking the chain of transmission, and thus preventing its spread to new areas,” said Dr Qazi Haroon, an officer on special duty at the Directorate of Health Services in Kashmir.

The administration has imposed strict restrictions on the movement of people in these areas and invoked Section 188 (disobeying order of a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code, which can land any violator in jail for one month.

Several people have been booked for violations in these areas.

Haroon said cluster containment plan calls for near-absolute interruption of movement of people to and from a relatively large defined area where there are multiple foci of local transmission of coronavirus.

“It is a barrier erected around the focus of infection,” Haroon said.

No public movement is allowed within the 3-km radius of the cluster declared as a red zone in rural areas, while the buffer zone extends to 5 km.

The Tribune