As many as 40 new cases of COVID19 were reported in J&K on Friday, taking the total number of cases here to 1489. Two patients admitted at hospitals here, including one pregnant woman, are among the new cases.
Of the new cases, 33 were reported from Kashmir division and seven from Jammu division.
Although a total of 3222 samples were tested in Kashmir division in the past 24 hours, the large number of samples yet
to be tested is extending the quarantine period of many travelers. The Greater Kashmir has received many calls from people under quarantine who are awaiting reports of their samples for about a week now. “We were told that our reports would be ready in two days. But we have been waiting for six days now, still unsure when we will come to know about our status,” a distressed traveler told the Greater Kashmir over phone.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, PK Pole, said the reports were being expedited and currently samples were being tested at three labs in Kashmir division, two in Jammu division and in private labs too. “We received a lot of travelers in the past week and that mounted the samples,” he said adding that in the past 24 hours about 7700 samples had been reported. “We are doing our best to make sure people get their reports as soon as possible,” he said.
Among the new cases reported today is a 38-year old pregnant woman from Bandipora admitted at Lal Ded Hospital for delivery. Dr Shabir A Siddiqui, medical superintendent LD Hospital said the patient had been kept in isolation of the hospital as a COVID19 suspect owing to her residence. “Today, after her report was received, we shifted her to SKIMS Medical College Hospital, a designated COVID19 facility,” he said. He added that the hospital had converted its Sarai into an isolation facility for all COVID19 suspected cases admitted. “Currently, we have 12 patients in our isolation,” he said.
Her sample was among the seven cases of COVID19 confirmed at CD Hospital virology lab. The other samples that tested positive at this lab include a 48 year old female from Kargil admitted at SMHS Hospital. The patient, Dr S Saleem Khan, nodal officer COVID19 at GMC Srinagar said, is admitted for lowed lobe pneumonia and her sample had been taken based on suspicion given her symptoms.
In addition, two samples from Anantnag district, one each of people belonging to Malnag and Drarangan tested positive. Two people from Pingleena Pulwama and one from Qazigund in Kulgam were also confirmed to be positive today.
Today, 16 samples were reported positive from SKIMS Medical College Hospital lab out of the 378 tested. All the samples, SKIMS MC authorities said, were from Chattawatan Shopian and included two children. One of the children, a boy, is aged one while a seven year old girl is the other minor testing positive.
At SKIMS Soura Virology lab, 2088 samples were tested of which 10 were reported positive. Two travelers who had recently returned from Bangladesh tested positive today. While one of these is a resident of Hyderpora Srinagar, the other is a resident of Sheikhpora Budgam.
Of these, four samples were from Baramulla district, the new cases belonging to Kultoora, Rohama and Hardichloo villages of the district. Two samples, one each from Palpora and Meemender Shopian also tested positive at this lab. A sample each from Lolab and Hayhama tested positive today.
In Jammu division, four samples from Samba, two from Rajouri and one from Poonch were reported positive today, taking the total number of cases confirmed positive in this division to 218.