In two weeks, 250 doctors, paramedics test positive

Srinagar, January 15

At least 250 doctors and paramedics of different hospitals across Kashmir have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last fortnight, an official said on Saturday. With such a large number of members from the medical fraternity getting infected, the Valley is finding the situation challenging, he said. “Over 250 doctors and paramedics of Government Medical College, Srinagar, and its associated hospitals tested positive in the last 15 days,” said Dr Salim Khan, Professor and Head of Department, Community Medicine, GMC, Srinagar.

3,251 new cases, four deaths in J&K

• J&K witnessed a major spike with 3,251 fresh Covid cases and four deaths in 24 hours. Jammu district recorded the maximum of 685 new cases.
• Active cases are now 12,680 in J&K where the caseload has touched the 3,55,874 mark and the death toll has gone up to 4,561 .
• Ladakh saw 106 new cases, raising the caseload to 23,079. Thirty-five patients recovered. With this, the active cases have reached 669. oc

Giving details, Khan said these doctors and paramedics worked at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital, Bone and Joint Hospital, Chest Disease Hospital and Super-Speciality Hospital, Shireen Bagh, here. Several hospitals in the Valley, including the SMHS and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences SKIMS, have either shut down services at the outpatient department or put on hold non-essential elective surgeries in view of the surge in Covid cases in the Union Territory, he added.

Meanwhile, the J&K administration on Saturday imposed “complete restriction on non-essential movement” during weekends in the UT amid a surge in Covid cases. Announcing the decision of the State Executive Committee (SEC), which met under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary AK Mehta, officials said night curfew and online mode of teaching in schools and colleges would continue. Mehta said there was a need for additional steps besides continuing with the existing Covid containment measures in all districts given the uneven trend in daily cases as well as rising positivity rate.

“There shall be a complete restriction on non-essential movement during weekends in entire J&K,” Mehta said in his latest order.

Jammu Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg, in a tweet, said the complete restrictions on non-essential movements in the district was from Fridays’ 9 pm to Mondays’ 6 am. “There shall be no restrictions on transport, essential services/activities and home deliveries during the weekend in Jammu. However, the public is strongly urged to stay at home to avoid any inconvenience,” he said. Police and civil officials visited different markets in the city to enforce the order.

Udhampur DC Indu Kanwal Chib led the drive to implement the order and was seen asking commuters and shopkeepers to return to their homes. She said, “Patnitop is recording huge turnout on weekends. We are enforcing strict lockdown there as well.” Nobody will be allowed to visit the hill station after 5 pm on weekdays, the officer said. —