On April 14, a 41-year-old man from this south Kashmir village was reported positive for coronavirus.
He had no travel history and even denied contact with any ofthe positive cases.
The man had no symptoms for the infection either.
However, to be doubly sure the health officials decided torandomly take his sample without putting him in the quarantine facility.
“What we later learned he had met a positive case thoughbriefly and contracted the infection,” a health official said.
The man was immediately isolated and is presently undergoingtreatment.
All his contacts were identified and put in differentquarantine centers.
Two persons including an elderly woman turned positive forinfection only a few days later.
Today, as we write, five more have tested positive forcoronavirus in the area, taking the total number of infected persons to 8.
The village of 2500 households and a population of 15000souls has now emerged as one of the COVID19 hotspots in Kashmir
“All the positive cases reported from our medical districtare from this village in Shangus area,” CMO Anantnag Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told the GreaterKashmir.
He said all of them are contacts of the first positive case.
“The family members of that case, however, are so far negativefor the infection,” CMO said.
“This is worrisome,” said a medic, who is part of the teammonitoring the situation in this village.
“The community transmission has already happened here. Nowour priority is to stop the further spread of the virus,” he said.
CMO informed that they have taken almost 2000 samples fromthe village after it was designated as a red zone.
“Till now we have got the reports of the samples sent tillSaturday,” he said.
On Sunday, he said 41 and today 54 villagers were tested andtheir reports are awaited.
“Many of the positive contacts had shared a hookahtraditionally known as Jajeer with the first positive case,” a medic disclosed.