Overseas traveler isolated after testing positive on arrival at Srinagar Airport

J&K Government implemented mandatory quarantine and testing of all travelers

Srinagar: A Kashmir resident who returned from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday has tested positive for COVID19 and has been isolated at DRDO COVID19 Hospital in accordance with the fresh guidelines. Meanwhile, 60 people were put under quarantine during the 24 hours preceding this report.

After J&K Government initiated the implementation of mandatory quarantine and testing of all travelers with a history of visit to outside the country on December 1, 60 people have been sent to various public and private facilities.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Syed Haneef Balkhi said one of the travelers stayed at Sanat Nagar marriage hall, while others stayed at hotels notified for quarantine by the District Disaster Management Authority Srinagar. He said as more flights arrive, the number of people under quarantine was increasing. “We have already allowed all the travellers who had arrived on Wednesday, to leave after their test reports were available,” Balkhi said.

However, one of the travelers, who was under quarantine at a hotel on Boulevard, has tested positive. A health official said that the traveler, a 42-year old male, was arriving from Saudi Arabia and was sent to DRDO Hospital Khanmoh for isolation as per the guidelines of J&K Government. Dr Abdul Rashid Parra, Medical Superintendent DRDO Hospital said the positive case has mild symptoms of COVID19 and his sample would be sent for Genomic Sequencing to one of the INSACOG Labs by SKIMS Soura (where his sample was tested) to find out if he is infected with Omicron variant. “We have isolated the patient in a separate ward and he is under observation,” Balkhi said.