Covid-19: Residents of Kupwara’s Drugmulla fear community transmission as local youth tests positive

Srinagar: The residents of Drugmulla area in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district fear that they may witness a community transmission of Covid-19 pandemic as a local youth tested positive for the deadly virus. The youth was roaming freely in the area and has come in contact with hundreds of people in the village.
Reports said fear looms large in Drugmulla village after a local youth, who was tested positive on Thursday after returning from New Delhi. He was roaming freely in the hamlet since his arrival, a resident said.
Locals from Drugmulla, Anderhama and Muqam Shahwali alleged that had there been a prompt action from administration, the whole hamlet may not have come under the grip of tight fear.
The locals said that the youth (name withheld) took part in several cricket matches and was roaming freely in the area; even he drove many vehicles of local residents without taking any precaution.
Since his arrival (from Delhi) he was out on the streets freely and would roam without any hesitation, the guy has come in close contact with number of local boys who are shell-shocked after he tested positive for Covid 19- on Thursday.
The locals said that now local youth has started a chain of individual campaign motivating the locals to persuade others, who may have come in close contact with positive patient. Many took to their social media platforms and requested the local population to report to health authorities early before this case can lead to community spread.
The locals also complained about the late action of administration stating that the guy was not under home quarantine or surveillance of district administration; his actions have exposed the whole community to this deadly virus, despite repeated requests from authorities not to conceal the travel history.
The officials from district administration said that after declaring the hamlet as red zone, the area was fully contained with restrictions over inward and outward movement, medical teams along with police reached the spot early Friday morning to track the possible contacts.
The family members and relatives have been taken and put under administrative quarantine; many local youth who came forward and disclosed their contact with him were also put under quarantine while the adjoining people have been asked to observe home quarantine.
Nodal officer for COVID-19 in Kupwara, Nazir Ahmad Lone, said that many people including the relatives and family members of the Covid positive patient have been put under quarantine including those who may have come in contact with the positive case. “Exact figure of contacts traced isn’t known but the contact tracing is till on and many more will be put under necessary quarantine,” he said