Hindustan Times (Jalandhar)

Seven more test positive in J&K

CASES SPIKE TO 62 About 2,000 contacts of patients to be tested

- HT Correspond­ents letterschd@hindustant­imes.com With agency inputs

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Seven persons from the Kashmir division tested positive for coronaviru­s, taking the total number of positive cases in the Union territory to 62, the Jammu and Kashmir administra­tion said on Wednesday.

As per official records, of the 62 positive cases, two patients have recovered from the infection while two have died, leaving 58 active cases.

“Of the active cases, 48 pertain to Kashmir and 10 are from Jammu. Currently, 17,041 people are under surveillan­ce,” said Rohit Kansal, principal secretary (planning).

The administra­tion has isolated 20 villages to prevent the spread of coronaviru­s, especially after some people associated with the Tablighi Jamaat told officials about their travel history.

Officials said 60 people from Kashmir who had been to Nizamuddin have been traced and 47 of them were tested for Covid-19. “The remaining people will be tested and reports will be available by evening,” a senior officer said.

The J&K administra­tion on Wednesday said it has traced nearly 2,000 contacts of Covid-19 patients and each one of them will be tested. “Through our robust contact tracing system, we have identified nearly 2,000 contacts, which we believe, can be traced to the positive cases,” said Kansal. He informed that instructio­ns have been issued to ensure that no contact is left untraced.

SRINAGAR MAYOR’S SECURITYME­N ISOLATED

Security personnel guarding Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu were put in isolation after a family member of one of the employees in his office tested positive for coronaviru­s, officials said on Wednesday.The employee, whose brother tested positive, works as a generator operator at the Srinagar municipal complex. Mattu said the precaution­ary step was taken because of the security personnel station’s proximity to the generator room.

In a letter to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) 10th Battalion’s commandant, the SSP for the

Police Control Room in Kashmir on Tuesday asked him to put the men in isolation. “In view of the above facts the SSB nafri (personnel) who were deployed on escort duty for the last 10 days with the mayor may be kept in isolation being probable suspects for COVID-19 as precaution­ary measure,” it stated. Mattu said the order was an exercise in caution and he has had no contact with civic employees.

 ?? AFP ?? A doctor checks a baby in Srinagar on Wednesday.
AFP A doctor checks a baby in Srinagar on Wednesday.

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