Srinagar:  Two more persons with “symptoms of coronovirus” were admitted to SKIMS Soura even as 1433 people across the Jammu and Kashmir have been put under surveillance as on Thursday.

Also, officials said, test reports of 44 persons are awaited across the union territory of J&K where 1178 persons are in “home quarantine”, 17 in “hospital quarantine” and 80 in “home surveillance.”

“74 samples have been sent for testing, 29 have come negative and one tested positive (sexagenarian woman from Jammu who had returned from Iran recently),” officials said, adding, “44 test reports are awaited.”

They said 158 persons have completed their 28 days surveillance period. A senior doctor at SKIMS said that two more persons were admitted to SKIMS for “coronovirus like symptoms.” “We have collected their samples and sent them for tests,” he said.

So far over a hundred countries have been affected by coronovirus and as per MoH&FW, GoI, all incoming international travellers including Indians, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, Republic of Korea, France, Spain and Germany after 15 febuary shall be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days. This will come into effect from Friday (March 13) at the port of departure.

Further all passengers having travel history to coronavirus affected countries are advised to undergo self-imposed quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of their arrival. The people are appealed that they should self-declare about their foreign travel history.

Pertinently, coronavirus lab testing facilities have been started in Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar and Government Medical College Jammu. One more lab at Government Medical College Srinagar has been operationalized today.

To deal with any exigency, control rooms and surveillance teams have been constituted across all the districts of J&K. Adequate isolation rooms and quarantine facilities have been kept ready in all the Medical Colleges, District Hospitals and other institutions across the Jammu and Kashmir for quarantine and treatment of infected patients and suspected cases.

Moreover adequate numbers of N-95 masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Kits have been made available for the medical and other associated staff.

The Government has strongly urged all social, religious and political organizations to avoid large gatherings.

“There is no need to panic, the public is advised to maintain social distancing; avoid un-necessary travel and use of public transport; and also take basic precautions including personal hygiene, frequent handwashing with soap and observing coughing and sneezing etiquettes,” the government advisory said.

Anyone with fever, cough and difficulty in breathing has been urged to seek medical care at the earliest.

One More Test Positive In Ladakh

Srinagar: One more person on Thursday tested positive for coronovirus, taking the number of such patients to three in the recently carved out union territory. Commissioner Secretary Rigzin Samphel said that test report of the person, whose father was already infected with the novel virus, was received today and it has come positive.

Samphel also informed that there are now three patients, who have tested positive for the coronavirus infection and all of them have been kept in isolation.

The two persons who had earlier tested positive had a history of travelling to coronavirus-hit countries.

The fresh case has emerged, a day after the WHO said that the novel coronavirus (COVID 2019) outbreak could now be “characterised as a pandemic”.

Jammu: Financial Commissioner Health & Medical Education Department, Atal Dulloo today took stock of measures put in place to prevent the spread of corona virus in Jammu and Kashmir besides reviewing the facilities for patients in different hospitals of Jammu. Principal, Government Medical College, Jammu; Dr Sunanda Raina; Nodal Officer, Corona virus, UT J&K, Dr Shafqat Khan and other officers accompanied the FC during his visit.

During his visit to the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, the FC inspected the isolation wards for corona virus suspects and directed the hospital authorities to follow proper guidelines with utmost care. He also directed them to make the newly constructed Intensive Care Units, High Dependency Wards functional at an earliest.

The FC also visited the Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) hospital where he inspected the quarantine and isolation facilities established for suspected corona virus cases of women and children.

He said that government is closely monitoring the situation and effective measures are being put in place to contain the virus in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said that government is capable of tackling the situation and said there is no need to panic. He also dispelled rumours about the death of anyone through this virus. He said that so far only one patient has tested positive in JK whose condition is stable and is under active observation of doctors.

He also said that travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under active surveillance and some of them have completed surveillance period of 28 days.

The FC also sought cooperation from public and advised them to avoid mass gatherings and urged people having travel history to affected countries to undergo self-imposed quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of their arrival.

He reiterated that citizens must take basic precautions such as maintaining personal hygiene, hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquettes and must avoid frequently touching face, eyes and nose. He also asked citizens to report any symptoms (fever, difficult breathing and cough) to the medical authorities immediately in order to contain the virus.

Atal Dulloo said that there is no shortage of safety masks and other equipments. He also said that seven pharma shops have been closed who were indulging in overcharging and said that Drug Controller Organisation has been activated to keep a check on the profiteers.

During his visit to GMC, the FC took stock of the facilities available for patients. He directed the concerned to operationalise the new Intensive Care Units, High Dependency Ward and Spinal Injury ward. He said that functioning of these units will bring a major relief to the patients. The FC was informed that all the arrangements are in place and these newly constructed wards will be made operational in next few days.

At Super Specialty Hospital, Jammu, the FC took stock of the functioning of the Dialysis centre where new dialysis machines have been installed for effective patient care.

One Suspected From Poonch

Poonch: A 25-year-old from Mendhar Poonch with “coronavirus-like symptoms” was on Thursday referred to Government Medical College Jammu for further examination.

Block Medical Officer (BMO) Mendhar Dr Parvez Ahmad Khan said that the person was screened at SDH Mendhar. The BMO said that the person had reported at Government sub- district hospital Mendhar today and as per him, he had come in contact with an Iranian returnee during visit to Chandigarh recently. His samples have been taken and the report is expected by tomorrow.

He was immediately shifted to Isolation ward coronavirus (COVID-19) and was later referred to Jammu for conduct examination, the BMO said.

The Medical Officer further said that six persons, four among them returnees from Saudi Arabia and two others from Kuwait were asked to remain under home quarantine for 15 days.

Khan also requested general public of the area to follow the advisory regarding (COVID-19).

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday issued notice to Chief Secretary of J&K on a Public Interest Litigation, seeking directions for taking effective preventive measures to combat the epidemic of Corona Virus.

Hearing the petition, a division bench of the court directed the J&K’s top officer to file the response by March 16.

The PIL has also sought directions to the government to formulate a policy laying the infrastructure for the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of the epidemic of Corona Virus and to set up special Fever Hospitals and isolated  treatment centers managed by specially trained medical and para-medical staff. It also seeks directions to provide facilities for conduct of all pathological tests and treatment free of cost and set up special screening system for the detection of suspected or infected persons at airports, bus and railway terminals across the territory.

The PIL states that the epidemic of Novel Corona Virus is reported to have extended its impact to this part of the globe as well, which is manifest from the isolation of some suspected patients in SKIMS. Apart from such prognosis the influx of tourists and repatriation of local residents from China and other affected regions is likely to keep the situation vulnerable and further compounded by the ill-preparedness of the authorities and the recessive medical facilities, it says.

“That the local government has yet to come up with any concrete policy to combat the impeding outbreak of the disease,” it says. The hygienic condition of hospitals and primary health care centres continues to remain by and large dismal, they said.

“The standardized preventive measures globally in vogue,provide for screening and pre-emptive quarantine of the suspected patients generally manifested by paraxia (fever, influenza etc.), besides commissioning of special Fever Hospitals at isolated places. Special vigil at Airports, Railway and Bus terminal is generally advised as a mode of preventive measure for identifying the victims and the carriers of the disease. Under the precarious conditions, the state health department is under an obligation to adopt and promote the preventive measures in a concerted manner, lest to render the spread of the epidemic inevitable.”

The PIL says that the crowded places like schools, hospitals, public utility centres including courts require special attention on sanitization and taking such measures to sieve off the infected people. “It is noticed that primary schools in Delhi have been closed to prevent the infestation of virus among the children. In the absence of such preventive measures the situation is likely to get adverse and its control ineffective.”

The PI also says that medical and para-medical staff is required to be trained and equipped with the method of preventive treatment and management of the epidemic with special attention towardsprophylactic measures. “The state government is under an obligation to develop infrastructure for keeping in readiness the Personal Protective Equipments for the medical and para-medical staff. The government is under an obligation to create awareness among the masses towards the development of immunity and inculcate sense of hygiene. The government is also responsible for keeping pathological laboratories accessible for the instant diagnostic tests.”

New Delhi: The government’s focus is on containing and controlling coronavirus the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday and advised Indians to stay put wherever they are and travel only under compelling reasons.

Responding to questions about IPL and other sporting events, it said the MEA’s advise would be “not do it at this time but if the organisers want to go ahead, it is their decision”.

“The government’s immediate concern is to contain and control coronavirus. There is no need to panic. We advise Indians to stay put wherever they are and only travel under compelling reasons,” Dammu Ravi, Additional Secretary, MEA and Coordinator (COVID-19), said at a press conference.

“We have also not issued any guidelines to airlines to stop or reduce flights. It’s a commercial decision, we leave it to them to decide,” he added.

To questions about organising sporting events, he said, “Think it is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. Our advice would be to not do it at this time but if they want to go ahead, it is their decision.”

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the government has received requests from four countries for assistance in arranging protective gears.

“We have received requests from Bhutan, Iran, the Maldives, Italy for assistance with masks and protective gears. We are processing it. Earlier, such request was received from China, and a package was sent,” he said.

Anil Malik, the Additional Secretary from Ministry of Home Affairs, informed reporters that there has been a decline of 40 per cent in number of people travelling to India in the last 20 days.

“The number of people coming to India dropped by 40 per cent in the last 20 days, the number will come down further,” he said.