Shopian: Despite the least population (about 3 lakh) among south Kashmir districts, Shopian has had the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases detected in the region (901). There have also been 17 deaths of Covid-19 patients, again second-highest in the region. Doctors in Shopian strictly warn against violations of guidelines such as wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing, but are also relieved that in the past one week the situation has remained under control with only 30 new cases reported.
Shopian was the first district in south Kashmir to see a spike in Covid-19 cases. The situation was controlled after intensive contact tracing and testing of suspected cases.
“Despite the government announcing ease in lockdown, Shopian markets unlike in other districts didn’t see much rush of people,” said Bashir Ahmad, a shopkeeper in Shopian town.
Chief Medical Officer Shopian Dr Ramesh Bhat told Kashmir Reader that 13,000 samples have been collected from the district so far among which 901 were found positive. He said that only 14 patients among the current 208 active patients are symptomatic and they are all either admitted in Srinagar hospitals or have been isolated in district wellness centers.
Dr Bhat said that the violation of guidelines is worrying and may lead to a spike in cases again. “When lockdown was eased, people thought that the disease is over, but it wasn’t. What I have found here is that people aren’t wearing masks and there occurs crowding at many places,” he said, adding that the decline in the number of cases in the district since a week is also due to less number of tests being done than earlier.
He said that reports of around 800 samples are awaited and a few other areas have been chosen for tests.
According to official data there are 47 red zones, 10 orange zones, and 8 green zones in the district.

Raashid Hassan