J&K tops in COVID-19 testing, says UT govt.

Testing capacity now stands at 8,100 samples per day

With a testing rate of over 10,000 per million, Jammu & Kashmir has now become “number one in the country in testing”, the J&K government said on Monday.

“The testing capacity in the Union Territory has gone up from just about 100 tests per day in March to 8,000 tests per day today. In the last one month alone, it has gone up from 1,800 tests per day to 8,100 per day, an increase of 350%,” Rohit Kansal, J&K government Spokesperson, and Principal Secretary, Power and Information, said in a press conference.

He said the “aggressive and sustained testing” is the only effective weapon against the disease and the administration shall continue to pursue it effectively.

J&K has detected 1,668 COVID-19 cases since the outbreak, with 1,374 cases reported from the Kashmir division and 294 cases from the Jammu division. So far, 23 deaths, including two deaths in the past 24 hours, have been reported.

‘Slew of measures’

“For the last more than eight weeks, the government has taken a slew of measures on the health, economic and welfare fronts. J&K was probably one of the first States or UTs to take note of the emerging situation and initiate action, and many of our interventions have not only been been fast but effective, too,” said Mr. Kansal.

Over 1.34 lakh persons have been enlisted for COVID-19 surveillance in the UT. “J&K has been able to achieve a low growth rate and a doubling rate [in infections] of over three weeks,” Mr. Kansal added.

He said over 90,000 stranded persons had returned to J&K in the last four weeks alone. “J&K has smoothly completed more than 85% of its evacuation process. The government has consciously adopted a policy of testing 100% of all returnees. It has been successful in tracing 481 positive cases so far among the travellers,” he added.

An official said 652 passengers, including students, arrived at the Srinagar International Airport on Monday under the Vande Bharat Mission by four COVID-19 special flights, while 170 persons arrived in five flights at the Jammu airport.