Covid scare: Primary schools shut in 7 districts of two UTs
Tribune News Service
Jammu/Leh, March 7
Four cases of deadly coronavirus — two testing positive and two suspected with ‘high viral load’— in the two newly-created Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh created panic among people on Saturday, with the authorities shutting down all primary schools — both government and private — in six districts of Jammu and Kashmir, and in Leh district of Ladakh till March 31.
The UT administration of Jammu and Kashmir also announced to suspend all biometric attendance of the government staff till March 31, while all exams at primary level were postponed.
Official sources said, two persons from Ladakh with travel history to Iran had tested positive for Covid-19. Both returned from Iran after performing Haj pilgrimage on February 27 and they have been kept in an isolation ward at SN Hospital in Leh.
The Commissioner, Secretary, Health, Ladakh, Rigzian Sampheal, while confirming the report, said that samples of 10 suspected persons were sent for investigation and two of them had tested positive.
“The UT Administration has successfully contacted all co-passengers who travelled in the same flight and all are under observation and urged the people not to panic,” Sampheal said.
In Jammu, the test reports of two suspected coronavirus patients were received and both were “high viral load” cases.
“There is a high probability of their testing positive for the infection. The two patients with a travel history to coronavirus-affected countries had fled the hospital after their admission, but were brought back within hours. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. They have kept in isolation at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu. They are stable and all protocol is being followed,” an official said on Saturday morning.
At a late-evening press conference, Rohit Kansal, government spokesperson and Principal Secretary, Information, along with senior officials from the J&K Health and Medical Education Department, however, said that there was no need of any panic in the Union Territory.
“A total of 287 cases have been put under active surveillance so far. Of them, 95 have completed surveillance period of 28 days, and the remaining cases continue to remain under surveillance. A total of 28 samples of suspected patients have been sent for testing so far and 25 of them have come negative. Two cases have reported high viral load, but in both cases, the final report is awaited,” Kansal said while giving details about the overall situation in the UT of J&K.
The government spokesperson said they had decided that all primary schools in Jammu and Samba districts in Jammu division and four districts of Kashmir, including Baramulla, Bandipore, Budgam and Srinagar shall be closed till March 31. “We have also suspended biometric attendance till March 31.”
The Principal Secretary, however, claimed that there was absolutely no cause for panic. “We are monitoring the situation closely and continuously. Wherever is required, facilities are being supplemented and upgraded.”
Over the threat of doctors to go on strike against non-availability of masks and sanitisers, Kansal said there was no shortage of face masks.
