India News | Over 10,000 Labourers Arriving in Kashmir Tested for COVID-19 from July14-18: J-K Admin

Srinagar, Jul 20 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday said it has tested over 10,000 labourers arriving in the Valley for COVID-19 from July 14-18.

A total of 10,581 samples of labourers arriving at Qazigund toll post from others states and UTs were collected for coronavirus testing in the five days, an official spokesman said.

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As many as 1,012 samples were collected on July 14, of which only six tested positive, he said.

The results for the remaining 9,569 of the total 10,581 samples collected are awaited, he added.

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The administration was apparently responding to criticism from various quarters as to why thousands of labourers from other parts of the country are being allowed into the Kashmir Valley without being first tested for COVID-19.

There are apprehensions that these labourers are not observing the quarantine guidelines till their test reports are available.

"As per the official data received in this regard, the samples are being collected from the labourers who are arriving at Jammu and Kashmir from several other states and UTs," the spokesman said.

Giving the break up, he said 2,227 samples were collected on July 15, 2,099 on July 16, 2,350 on July 17 and 2,893 on July 18.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)