J&K Bureaucrats In Quarantine After Top Official Tests Positive For Coronavirus

Srinagar: 

Many top bureaucrats of Jammu and Kashmir have been quarantined after a senior officer tested positive for coronavirus. Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary in the Union Territory’s Urban Development Department, has tested positive after he held series of meetings with senior government officers including the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir has seen a surge in coronavirus cases over the last few days as many stranded people have returned. So far more than 2,400 people have been tested positive for coronavirus, more than 700 of the cases were detected over the last five days.

Mr Gupta, officials said, was at the Srinagar airport to supervise arrangements for the arrival of some stranded people.

After he tested positive, dozens of officials, including some top IAS officers, who met him were sent to quarantine in Jammu and Srinagar.

An official said that 37 bureaucrats met with Mr Gupta in Jammu. All of them are now in quarantine.

In Srinagar, while supervising arrivals, he was assisted by a Secretary level bureaucrat and other officers.

Last week, RR Batnagar advisor to Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu, was sent to quarantine after his family, who came from Delhi, tested positive for coronavirus.

The Lt Governor has assigned departments under Mr Batnagar to another advisor.

As domestic flights resumed this week, all incoming passengers are having to undergo a compulsory coronavirus test and are being placed in administrative quarantine till the report is ready. In case they test positive, they are placed under institutional quarantine.

Similar rules apply to people coming into the state by road or rail.

NDTV