Covid-19: 4 More Test Positive, J&K Tally Rises To 18

Srinagar, March 27 (GNS): Four more persons including an elderly couple have tested positive for coronavirus disease (covid-19) in Srinagar, officials said on Friday. With this, the tally of Covid-19 patients in the Kashmir region has reached 14 and one of them, a 65-year-old man from Hyderpora, originally a resident of Sopore, died on Thursday.
In all, 18 persons have tested positive for the covid-19 in Jammu and Kashmir, four of them are in Jammu region—3 in the winter capital of the J&K and one in Rajouri district.
Sources told Global News Service (GNS) that two persons are aged 32 years and 37 years and are residents of Bemina Srinagar who had travel to New Delhi and Haryana where they participated in religious congregations, possibly attended by foreigners. The other two persons are 62-year-old man and his wife from Chattabal area of Srinagar and they had returned from Saudi Arabia on March 16 and were part of the same flight which was boarded by a sexagenarian male from Natipora and Kashmir’s first covid-19 patient, a 67-year-old woman from Khaniyar Srinagar who, according to the doctors at SKIMS Soura, is recovering.
“4 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,” tweeted Principal Secretary, Planning and government spokesman Rohit Kansal.
An official told GNS that all of them are presently admitted to Chest Disease Hospital (CD) Dalgate, Srinagar and their samples had been taken recently.  
In a related development, sources said, these some patients were referred in an ambulance to SKIMS medical college Bemina, which along with CD hospital is now covid-19 management hospital but they were sent back.
While sources said that doctors told them that the SKIMS Bemina hospital was not ready for covid management yet, its Principal Dr Reyaz Untoo said: “No one was referred. The hospital is to be readied for (covid-19 management) by the end of this month.”
Meanwhile, Dr Salim Khan, Nodal Officer for coronavirus for GMC Srinagar told GNS that 48 test reports were received today and 44 of them came out to be negative and remaining for, regarding above mentioned persons, were positive for pathogen.
He said 60 fresh samples have been taken and their reports are awaited.
Professor Farooq Ahmad Jan, the medical superintendent of SKIMS, told GNS that 21 samples came out to negative on Friday. “These samples pertained to 15 from SKIMS and 6 from GMC Baramulla.” He said seven more persons with covid-19-like symptoms were admitted to hospital where 55 persons are in isolative while two persons were discharged.
The Government informed that 5763 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance and, so far.
As per the daily Media Bulletin on novel coronavirus, 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.
It 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.
Meanwhile, it said, in case of any emergency people can avail free ambulance services 24×7 at their door steps by calling on toll free No. 108. Pregnant women and sick infants can avail free ambulance services by dialing toll free No. 102.
Furthermore, it said, a 24×7 toll free national helpline number 1075 has been activated for support, guidance, and response to health related queries on novel coronavirus disease. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has also set up helpline numbers in this regard: 0191-2549676 (UT level Cell for J&K), 0191-2520982, 0191-2674444, 0191-2674115 (For Jammu Division), 0194-2440283 and 0194-2430581 (For Kashmir Division).
According to government advisory, people are urged to take the lockdown seriously and uphold the instructions laid out by the government in a coordinated effort to protect themselves and their families by staying in homes. (GNS)