Jammu and Kashmir have crossed the 3200-mark as far as the number of the Covid-19 cases are concerned. More than 1100 cases have been added up in around a week. The death toll has also mounted to 36 –14 persons have lost their lives due to the infection during the last 13 days and 24 people in 20 days.
People are given to believe by experts and those at the helm of government affairs that the pandemic is yet to peak here. There is also an impression that cases are due to the arrival of residents and others stranded across the country or some parts of the world. However, the latest data dated June 4, shows that out of the 285 cases in a single day, only 57 were travelers’ while the rest of them were about those infected locally, through known or unfamiliar contacts.
Also, five districts in J&K have crossed 300-mark and include Anantnag (377), Kulgam (362), Srinagar (342), Kupwara (318) and Baramulla (301). Except for Kupwara having 169 travelers, others have high percentage of locally infected people.
The cases have seen surge when Jammu and Kashmir is opening up like those in its neighborhood. New guidelines have been issued by MHA which allows more trade and travel activities.
This should be a time when testing should be fast, wide, and random. The J&K administration has time and again called for speedy testing which otherwise means that there is no constraint of resources when it comes to testing. Whether resources in terms of men are adequate or insufficient, nothing has been revealed. In case of shortage, it can be addressed so that more people can be tested and importantly within a reasonable time frame. There is a need to test all even asymptomatic direct contacts. It is also time for the government to ensure that anyone who has the symptoms, or who has had contact with an infected person, or who is in the most-vulnerable group like senior citizens and those with other ailments can get tested. For that, there is need to relax rules so as to allow anyone who wants to get a test whether it is a young, old, symptomatic or asymptomatic, they should be able to get tested. If possible, the government should pay for those who can’t afford to pay for the tests themselves after all ours is a welfare administration and all measures need to be taken within the available resources to ease the pain and suffering of the people.
