Srinagar: Five persons with a recent history of travelling to Coronavirus-affected countries have been admitted to SKIMS Hospital Soura after they showed symptoms of the disease, officials said.
“We have kept the five persons in the isolation ward at the SKIMS hospital in Soura,” they said.
The officials added that samples of the suspects were collected and sent for testing to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
Of the five, one had travelled to Thailand while two had been to Iran, they said, adding that the remaining two had a recent travel history to the epicentre of COVID-19 in China’s Wuhan.
The Jammu and Kashmir government took several steps on Wednesday as part of its efforts to control the spread of coronavirus, after a sudden spike in the number of positive cases in the country.
National Health Mission Director Bhupinder Kumar was appointed as the in-charge of the coronavirus control efforts in the J&K, an order issued by the General Administration Department said.
The divisional commissioners of the Kashmir and Jammu regions have been made in-charge of the programme in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
The government has directed officials to set up detection centres at all entry points, including airports and railway stations.
Besides creation of quarantine and isolation facilities, the government has also directed for a proper surveillance of those put under home quarantine.
Meanwhile, two persons with travel history to Italy and South Korea, fled from a Jammu-based government hospital’s isolation ward, but were brought back, officials said on Thursday.
They were admitted to the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Samples were taken and sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, they said.
There was adequate hospital security outside the isolation ward, but relatives of one of the persons “forcefully” took their patient with them after which the other also fled, a senior GMCH official said.
They “fled” on late Wednesday night, the official said.
The two persons were brought back and admitted to the GMCH on Thursday, Dr Shafqat Khan, who has been nominated by the government as the nodal officer for coronavirus prevention in Jammu and Kashmir.
If the samples taken from them test positive of coronavirus, they will be quarantined, officials said, adding that no positive cases of the virus have been found in the Jammu and Kashmir.
Symptomatic people have been instructed for home quarantine, they said.
The number of coronavirus cases in India is 29, including 16 Italians, the government has said, adding all international passengers will now be screened at airports, amid growing concern over the spread of the respiratory infection.
People have been advised not to panic as there is no truth in the information being circulated on social media about the death of one person in J&K, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir has been put on alert to deal with any threat emerging due to coronavirus, they said.
“People are urged not be give ear to rumours. There is nothing to panic,” Khan said.
Officials said around 200 people who have travel history to coronavirus-affected countries or had contact with people from such countries have been identified.
Twenty-one suspected cases have been tested till date and “no positive case has been reported so far across J-K”, a senior official said.
He said a “100 per cent self-declaration at the airports of Jammu and Srinagar will start from Thursday to trace any such person having travel history to the affected countries.”
“Further, check points for passengers travelling by road have been set up at Lakhanpur and Lower Munda (Zig) to identify individuals with travel history to these countries,” the official said. PTI

Press Trust of India