350 students, 40,000 labourers stranded outside JK due to lockdown: LG Murmu

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor G C Murmu said over 350 students and nearly 40,000 labourers are stranded outside the Union Territory due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

He said all those returning to the Union Territory (UT) willbe tested and home quarantined.

   

Meanwhile, the first batch of 1,200 people were brought backfrom Punjab on Monday.

“We have decided that all those who will be broughtback will have to undergo testing. They will be sent to home quarantine,” Murmutold PTI on the strategy formulated by his administration to deal with thelarge number of people stranded outside the UT.

“If they have not been screened and tested in thoseplaces, then they will come back here and affect the families and people aroundthem. So testing is must,” he added.

On the steps taken for the safe return of those belonging tothe UT and stuck in various countries due to the pandemic, the LieutenantGovernor said, “We have talked to the Ministry of External Affairs aboutthe matter. We have requested them to carry out evacuation in Bangladesh, Iranand other countries. Most of them have been brought back.”

He said a large number of students belonging to the UnionTerritory were stranded in various states due to the lockdown.

“We have evacuated them. They were put in quarantine inMumbai, Jaisalmer etc,” he said, adding others are stranded in Bangalore,Chennai, Noida and Agra.   “We havea list of 350 students still stuck outside the Union Territory. We have giventhem assurance that once the lockdown ends, they will be brought back,” hesaid.

“We are also identifying labourers of J&K strandedin other states. Over 30,000 to 40,000 labourers are out of Jammu and Kashmir.Some of them want to come back. We will see (how they can be brought back afterlockdown ends),” he added.

The Lt Governor said the administration is dealing withcontainment of COVID-19 as per strategy.

“In Jammu region, the situation is fully under control.The problematic areas are those with people having travel history abroad. Suchpeople have mostly been identified and quarantined,” he said.

Murmu said the administration was taking the help of AarogyaSetu mobile application and booth-wise surveys to trace and track the contactsof COVID-19 positive patients.

“We are also giving preference to testing of elderlypeople and the ill in red zones,” he said.

Saying the coronavirus situation was “under control” in theUnion Territory, the Lt Governor said, “We have no one on the ventilator. Wehave 200 ventilators and are procuring 400 more.”

He added that the COVID-19 patients who were brought “at thelast moment” lost their lives due to the disease.

“Those who were brought in the initial stage, theirmortality rate is very low,” he said.

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