Doctor Among 12 More Test Positive, J&K COVID-19 Tally At 380

Srinagar/Jammu, April 21 (GNS): A doctor was among twelve people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.  

Sources told Global News Service (GNS) that 41-year junior doctor posted at GMC Baramulla tested positive for the pathogen four days after he developed symptoms such as fever etc. He attended general patients and authorities are now trying to trace all his contacts including the patients he has seen at the health facility.

This is besides those of his contacts—four doctors and 15 staffers apart from entire family including his in-laws who have traced and kept in quarantine, the sources said.

He is the first doctor in the Valley to have tested positive for the disease. Earlier, four doctors tested positive in Jammu recently.  

Principal GMC Dr Syed Masood Bukhari told GNS the doctor had attended suspected COVID-19 patient who is already in quarantine.

Deputy Commissioner Baramulla G N Itoo said that doctor had developed fever four days ago and was at home, Kanispora area of the district.  

Sources said that samples of the doctor and ten others, all residents of Shopian returned positive for the disease at SKIMS laboratory.    

Of the ten patients from Shopian, 8 are from Heerpora and two others—one a 32-year-old-male and other 50-year-old female are from Beminipora areas of the south Kashmir district. Regarding those from Heerpora, sources said they include two males—50-year-old and 18-year-old while six are woman including mother-daughter duo aged 45 and 20 while others are aged 25, 30, 45, 60 and 65 respectively.   

Principal Secretary Information Rohit Kansal told reporters in Jammu that there are 380 cases in the J&K till date.

“The total number of cases in 380 of which 294 are active—256 in Kashmir and 38 in Jammu divisions,” he said.

Kansal, who is also the government spokesman said that 81 people have recovered while five people have died due to the deadly infection in the J&K.

He said 60000 people have been enlisted for surveillance out of which nearly 35000 have completed the mandatory 28 days quarantine.

Based on the parameters, he said, five districts—Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar and Jammu have been identified as hotspot districts. “These districts account for more than four-fifths i-e 80 per cent of the cases in J&K.”  

Similarly, he said, he said 92 areas have been designated as Red Zones in J&K and 82 of them are in Kashmir division.

He said the testing rate in J&K is 703 per million, one of the highest in India. “If you may remind, the last time I spoke to you it was 77.5 per million. Since then we have been continuously ramping up our facilities,” he added. (GNS)