COVID-19: 87 contacts of positive patient quarantined in Pulwama

PULWAMA — South Kashmir’s Pulwama youth tested positive for COVID-19 infection has contacted 87 people and all these persons have been quarantined, official sources said.

Pertinently, a 26-year-old youth (name withheld) from Khaigam, Rajpora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, affiliated with Tablighi Jamaat has been tested positive for coronavirus.

While tracing the travel history and contacts, authorities found that the victim was with Tablighi Jamaat outside Jammu and Kashmir for about one month, during which he reportedly visited many states of India and is likely to have come in contact with Tablighis from other countries like Malaysia, Indonesia etc during various religious congregations.

An official said that the youth reached district Pulwama on 20 March after travelling from Delhi to Jammu and from Jammu to Pulwama.

He added, “In Pulwama, before going to his home at Khaigam (a village close to Pakherpora Budgam), he spent some days in Gudoora and Chandgam hamlets of Pulwama, before finally reaching his home on 25 March. On 26 March, he was screened at his home, however he was asymptomatic and was advised to go for home quarantine. On 27 March, he developed fever and went to Sub District Hospital Pakherpora for check up, and from there he was advised to go to SDH Charar-e-Sharief, where from he was shifted to SKIMS on the same day. At SKIMS, he tested positive on 28 March.”

The official said that so far at least 87 contacts of the subject (75 from Khaigam, 12 from Chandgam) have been put under quarantine at a private school in Dangerpora Pulwama.

The official said that ironically the companion of the confirmed case from the same village (name withheld) who has similar travel history of outside, but has returned directly to his home on March 20 rather than going to Gudoora and Chandgam villages has tested negative for coronavirus. They were shifted together to SKIMS from SDH Charar-e-Sharief.