Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Apr 16: Over 70 families being put under quarantine in New Delhi after a 19-year-old food delivery agent tested positive for COVID-19 should serve as an eye opener for the people of Kashmir.
Media reports stated that the victim had delivered Pizzas to all these families before testing positive for the COVID-19.
Reports about people gathering outside the Banks and ATMs in few areas of Kashmir have shocked everyone. “People should understand the gravity of the situation. Even if one person is COVID-19 positive, he can form a chain which can lead to 400 persons turning positive. Withdrawing cash should be no priority at this point of time,” said a doctor.
He said that if people don’t understand this simple thing the COVID-19 can wreak havoc in Kashmir, where all the efforts are being made to keep this deadly virus at bay. “Its unfortunate that people are not understanding the gravity of the situation. They need to understand saving lives at this point of time is the most important task. Next two weeks are very crucial for Kashmir. We have already recorded deaths of two COVID-19 patients, who had no travel history. There is every possibility about this virus having got transmitted into the community. Next fifteen days will tell us where we stand,” the doctor said.
He said, “Assembling outside the shops during evening hours and discussing COVID-19 won’t help anyone’s cause. The ongoing lockdown is no hartal, it has been ordered to control the pandemic, which can spread like a wildfire.”
An analyst while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “Till date situation has not taken an ugly turn but it can go out of hands if we don’t mend our ways. Imagine 70 families being put under quarantine. It means if one family has four members, nearly 280 persons have turned COVID-19 suspects.”
He said, “In New Delhi healthcare facilities are much better than J&K. It’s national capital and it can take the load but J&K won’t be able to bear it. There are just two hundred odd ventilators in J&K hospitals.”
An observer said that most areas in Srinagar city have been turned into “Red Zones.” “It means chances of this virus spread within the community in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir are high. We need to learn lessons from United Kingdom, United States, Italy and Spain where people took the warnings lightly.”
He said, “Authorities and experts are repeatedly telling people to stay within their homes and maintain social distance. But it seems a few people don’t want to listen. It’s a deadly virus and if a person gets infected, he has to stay in isolation away from his family members, who too are put under quarantine.”
