Three more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the number of Covid-19 cases in the Union territory to six, officials said on Tuesday.
The result of the tests of the suspected people came back late on Monday, according to an official.
The neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir has reported three positive cases of the deadly infection so far. With this, the total number of Covid-19 cases in these two Union territories has gone up to nine—six in Ladakh and three in J-K.
“Three more cases have tested positive in Ladakh. We got their reports late Monday and they were immediately isolated. However, they are in a good condition,” Rigzin Samphel, commissioner secretary of Ladakh, said.
One of the three cases includes a medical staff, he added. Among these cases, one person belongs to Kargil and two are from Leh.
Samphel said prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been issued in Kargil district and a similar order for Leh district will be put in place soon.
“There is no scarcity of supplies. More than 7000 N-95 masks were delivered to us on Monday and they are being distributed among the staff combating the virus,” he said.
Samphel said nine suspected cases have been quarantined in health facilities in Leh district and 21 in Kargil district.
“Two hundred and eight were home quarantined, out of which 150 have completed their 14-day mandatory stay. But, we have requested them to stay home for the next 14 days and advised them to avoid going to crowded places as a preventive measure,” he added.
Jammu and Kashmir’s lieutenant governor Girish Chandra Murmu has declared Covid-19 as an epidemic. Under the declaration, surveillance personnel can enter any premises to check anyone for symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
Its health and medical education department has declared the presence of any suspected patient at a public place hazardous to public safety.
“Such persons are bound to cooperate and render all possible assistance to facilitate such surveillance, inspection, enquiry and examination,” the department said in a notification.
If the person is found to be infected with the novel coronavirus, surveillance personnel can put them in home quarantine, or escort them to an “institutional quarantine facility” or “isolation facility.”
The government has also said that those who disobey an order or obstruct the performance of functions, duties, and responsibility enshrined upon any authority under these regulations, will be deemed to have committed an offence under section 188 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860).
India on Tuesday reported 12 new cases of the novel coronavirus taking the total number of infections to 126, up from 114 a day earlier, with the highest numbers in Maharashtra and Kerala, the Union health ministry has said.
India has so far reported three coronavirus deaths—one each in Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra—and said 13 patients have successfully recovered as the disease spread to 15 states and Union territories.