Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 24: Jammu and Kashmir has been able to flatten the curve of the novel Coronavirus outbreak and lockdown restrictions will ease in most parts, except critical ones from May 3, Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu told an exclusive interview to national channel on Friday. He pointed out that J&K has the third-highest rate of testing per million among the Indian States and UTs and the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases is around 16 days.
When asked if the Union Territory is prepared for a lift of lockdown from May 3, GC Murmu said, “The Red Zones are reducing, so maybe we will have restrictions continue at critical places and not everywhere. I hope gradual normalcy will come.”
The Lt Governor said that since early March, the authorities in the union territory had started surveillance in all entry points like airports and railway stations and inter-state bus services were suspended.
“By now, we have 65,000 people kept under surveillance of whom, 20,000-odd people are in home quarantine. In our administrative quarantine, only 279 people are there,” GC Murmu said.
He further said, “In almost 49 days, from the first case detected in the Jammu region, only 57 positive cases have come. In the Valley, there are 434 cases of which 92 have recovered and five deaths have been reported.” When asked about the difference in numbers of cases in Jammu and Kashmir Valley regions, the Lt Governor said people with travel history is more in the Valley area.
“The people who have come back from different parts of the country are numerically more (in Valley) and their contacts are coming out right now. That is why we have more Red Zones in Valley than the Jammu region. Only 13 Red Zones in three districts (of Jammu region) while almost 82 Red Zones in the Valley,” the Lt Governor said.
GC Murmu also stated that nearly 80% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic and if they come to hospitals at the right time, the caseload will ease. “We have wellness centres, COVID hospitals and also quarantine centres. We are augmenting these facilities further and fortunately, no one is on ventilator yet.”
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