Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration asserted that preventive measures, including compulsory testing of all inbound travelers, have been strengthened at Srinagar International Airport amid rise in COVID-19 cases outside the Union Territory.
An official on Sunday said that these directions were given by Incharge Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary at a meeting convened here on Saturday to avert spread of the virus in the valley.
He directed for strengthening the preventive mechanism at the Srinagar airport instructing the Srinagar and Budgam district administrations to set up additional Coronavirus testing facilities there and to enable quick receipt of test reports.
Dr Choudhary instructed that no inbound traveler should be allowed to leave the airport until their COVID-19 test report is received.
The instructions also come in the wake of a recent trend within Kashmir which shows a greater number of infections in travellers compared to local cases of COVID-19 infections.
Meanwhile, Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Samir Mattoo said the situation surrounding COVID-19 in the division is positive, adding that the transmission rate is also quite low. He observed that stricter measures at the airport are important to avert rise in infections within the division.
Meanwhile, it’s been decided that those travelers whose reports come positive would be isolated in order to prevent transmission and spread of the infection amongst the local population. Relevant protocol as given in the COVID-19 SOP manual will be followed in the case.
The meeting was informed that those with 48-hour-old RT-PCR negative reports from their departing cities will not have to undergo testing at the Srinagar airport. It was informed that a rise in positive cases as reported in some states outside J&K along with the recent trend finding more infections in inbound travelers has necessitated taking these preventive measures as directed.
