Srinagar: J&K recorded 202 new cases of COVID19 today, the spike caused by a high number of travelers traveling on land routes testing positive. Experts have underlined the importance of SoPs during road travel to prevent spread of the virus.
In the past 24 hours, as per the official bulletin on COVID19, 202 cases of COVID19 came to fore. The positives were reported after testing 50755 samples.
The positive percentage of samples today was 0.39, slightly higher than the positive percentage of samples reported on earlier days of the week. However, the rise in case tally of the day was due to the high number of travelers testing positive.
Today, district Reasi had 61 fresh cases, all of these travelers. A senior health official said that the travelers were sampled upon their arrival at Katra where J&K Government has ramped up testing due to the high inflow of pilgrims and other categories of people arriving at the destination for business and other purposes from across India. In the past one week, a very high number of passengers has been found t be positive for COVID19.
The health officials of district Reasi told Greater Kashmir that the testing was carried out at Bus Station as well as Railway Station. “We carry out 3000-3500 tests a day in the district,” Dr Rajeev Sharma, Chief Medical Officer Reasi told Greater Kashmir.
Prof S Saleem Khan, head Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at GMC Srinagar said the road travel, buses, taxis and trains allowed close contact over a longer period of time and were high risk if SoPs were not followed,” he said. He said the people who were testing positive in Reasi were arriving for pilgrimage after long duration travel in transport with a high density of people. “In contrast, SoPs are better adhered to in shorter duration journeys such as those of airplanes,” he said. Prof Khan stressed the need for face masks and distancing “wherever possible”.
Today, apart from the travelers, 138 people tested positive, 111 in Kashmir division and 27 in Jammu division. Srinagar district had 49 new cases, Baramulla 18 and Budgam 12. District Bandipora had 11 new cases today. District Jammu had 15 new cases today.
In the past 24 hours, 56472 doses of COVID19 vaccine were administered across the UT, the J&K Government’s COVD19 bulletin said.