'Janata curfew brings life to standstill in Ladakh, no fresh coronavirus case reported'

Grappling with 13 coronavirus-positive cases, the Union Territory of Ladakh on Sunday came to a standstill with local residents staying indoors in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to observe a 'janata curfew'.

Though no fresh case of COVID-19 was reported, a person with a travel history to the USA reached Leh by air in a very bad condition with suspected symptoms of COVID-19 and was admitted to a hospital, officials said.

Responding to the prime minister's call to observe 'janata curfew', the resident stayed back at their homes to follow social distancing, as a result of which the roads across Ladakh including Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, which is presently cut off due to heavy snowfall during winter, wore a deserted look.

The Ladakh is virtually under lockdown in view of the high number of coronavirus cases... the prime minister's call evoked complete response with the people voluntarily staying back at their homes, an official said.

He said a person with the travel history to USA, reached Leh by air on Saturday in a very bad condition with suspected symptoms of COVID-19.

He was immediately shifted to a special ward in a hospital, the official said, adding the administration is trying to trace his co-passengers and has conveyed a message to them to ensure their home-quarantine for 14 days and ensure not to have any physical contact with family members as a preventive measure.

The official said the dermatologist, who was among 13 persons tested positive for COVID-19, had attended the OPDs at hospital and at a private clinic before his admission to the hospital.

Therefore, all those patients who had visited the dermatologist on February 27 and 28 and March 3 at SNM Hospital and those who visited the private clinic from February 28 to March 4 are requested that they should not come in physical contact with others and to contact district hospitals in Leh and Kargil in case of any health related issues, he said.

He made an appeal to the general public that no person should forcefully evict any labourer nor instigate any person not to rent out houses.

The official said nearly 1,800 people are under surveillance in Ladakh, about 250 under home quarantine and 92 under hospital quarantine, while 154 persons have completed 14-day quarantine period.

Leh District Magistrate Sachin Kumar Vaishya, meanwhile, warned of strict action legal against people found jumping quarantine period.

All persons who are placed under mandatory home quarantine shall strictly confine themselves within the premises identified/prescribed/advised by the medical department. Any obstruction or refusal to comply with the direction shall be punishable under section 51 of Disaster Management act, Vaishya said in his order.