Kulgam has second highest Covid cases at 273

'80 percent positive cases in the district are travellers'

ANANTNAG, May 29: After inter-state travel restrictions were lifted and people stuck in various states of India started returning to valley, Kulgam district of south Kashmir has seen huge spike in Covid-19 cases. The district which recorded the first positive case in mid-April has now the second highest positive cases at 273 in Jammu and Kashmir after Anantnag.
According to officials, the district for at least one month had only few cases of Covid-19 after the first case was detected.
However, when the people including students, businessmen and laborers started returning from other states, the district witnessed sudden increase in the cases as most of the travellers are turning out to be positive.
According to Chief Medical Officer Kulgam, Dr Fazil Kochak travellers comprise at least 80 percent Covid-19 cases in the district.
On Friday, the district reported 19 Covid-19 cases from different villages, out of whom 18 were travellers.
"Now you can guess how much percentage returning from other states are infected," CMO said.
Out of a total of 273 positive cases detected in the district so far, CMO said that 242 are still active while 31 have recovered.
The CMO said that the quarantine of travellers on their arrival, without allowing them to go home, has proved to be effective in preventing the spread of the virus.
"We quarantine all travellers on their arrival without letting them go home. They are allowed to go home only after their test report comes negative. Those who turn out to be positive are discharged after treatment," CMO said.