Lakhanpur – the entry point of Jammu and Kashmir – has witnessed a sudden spike in COVID-19 positive cases, alarming the authorities to increase sampling of every passenger entering into J&K.
Lakhanpur receives around 15,000 visitors every day including pilgrims and tourists and the health officials take around 5000 to 6000 samples on a daily basis while the district administration has re-activated one COVID-19 care centre having a capacity to accommodate 100 infected persons near Lakhanpur in Kathua district.
The Health department said that the positive cases have touched 108 and shockingly, majority of them are travelers 86.
The alarming situation could be gauged from the revelation of a senior official who admitted that it was not possible for them to sample every visitor at Lakhanpur.
“You can’t ensure 100 percent sampling of everyone. We check all the passenger buses, private vehicles, and taxis and sample all the incoming passengers, bus conductors and drivers at the entry point (Lakhanpur) but there is every possibility that one positive case may easily go unnoticed,” the senior official said.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Rahul Yadav said, “We make sure that all passengers are sampled at Lakhanpur entry point and only then allowed to proceed further. Inter-state buses are not allowed but passengers from outside come to this side, and they are tested.”
He said that the local visitors of Kathua district are tested in Lakhanpur and the people traveling in personal vehicles have to fill-up form declaring their details.
“We send their information to their respective districts where their samples are collected for COVID19,” Yadav said.
He said that 5000 to 6000 outsiders visiting J&K are tested on a daily basis at Lakhanpur and sometimes the numbers go up to 7000 to 8000.
Yadav said that besides these visitors, people like labourers move frequently and such people are tested every 15 days.
“In last 10 days, the positive numbers have increased from 50 to 60 cases per day at Lakhanpur,” he said.
The DC Kathua said that all entry points into J&K from Kathua district had been closed.
“Entry is allowed from Lakhanpur and Atal Setu only after sampling of passengers,” he said. “At Kedian Gandyal we check identity cards and only locals are allowed to enter.”
Meanwhile, health officials said that after conducting sampling of 310 officials and employees at J&K Bank Zonal Head Office at Panama Chowk and at their branch office at Patel Nagar near Canal Road, 16 tested positive for COVID-19.
Following this the J&K Bank’s Zonal Office at Panama Chowk and bank’s Patel Nagar branch have been closed, the officials said.
Of the 108 total COVID-19 positive cases in Jammu division, Jammu district has 69 cases including 58 locals, Kathua district has 18 cases including 14 travelers, Udhampur five cases including four travelers, Rajouri four including two travelers, Doda one traveler, eight in Samba district including five travelers, Poonch one local, Ramban one traveler and Reasi one traveler.