A doctor working in the microbiology laboratory of Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu Monday tested positive for Covid-19 along with nine others in Jammu & Kashmir.
The total number of positive cases stood at 48, with seven new cases reported from Kashmir and three from Jammu region till last reports came in.
As a safety measure, samples of other staff members/technicians and consultants working in the GMC laboratory were taken and all of them were immediately quarantined.
Senior doctors in the GMC were frequently raising the issue of inadequate safety kits for doctors and other staff members working round the clock.
According to official sources, the doctor was immediately shifted to the dedicated covid-19 ward in the GMC where seven other patients, tested positive between March 25-29, were already admitted. Three cases from Udhampur were also admitted in the GMC ward in Jammu.
According to Rohit Kansal, spokesman of the Jammu and Kashmir government, " a total number of 10 news cases tested posiitve in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. He said, 11644 persons are under observation and 722 samples tested so far, 659 tested negative and reports of 15 samples were awaited.
He said, seven more cases detected positive in Kashmir, two from Shopian and three from Srinagar, one each from Bandipore and Budgam. He added, all positive cases were contacts of previous positive cases. In Jammu division, he said three new positive cases were reported". Out of these three, one case was detected in Udhampur, while two others from Janipur and Gujjar Basti area of Jammu.
In another important development, the district authorities in Jammu Monday intensified lockdown in certain pockets of Jammu and blocked all the entry and exit routes to contain movement of local residents.
The decision was taken by the local authorities after reports claimed some of these positive cases may have come in contact with large number of people in the area and needed strict measures to isolate them.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sushma Chauhan issued a statement which said, "in order to strengthen COVID containment in some areas of PS Trikuta nagar (from where recent +VE cases traced), we have intensified lockdown in Bhatindi and neighbouring areas. Further included today are Bhawani Nagar of Janipur PS as well. This is in interest of public at large".
In Kashmir valley, two villages located in Shopian district were declared as Red zones.
According to District Magistrate, Shopian, "two villages Ramnagri and Sedow, were declared as red zones while adjoining villages of these tehsils have been declared buffer zones, for the of safety and well being of general pulic.
