Kargil declared COVID-19 free as last two patients recover

With discharge of two COVID-19 patients including a two-year-old boy, Kargil district has been declared free of the novel coronavirus, officials said.

The patients were discharged from the dedicated COVID-19 Hospital Kurbathang here as per the protocol after they tested negative twice, the officials said.

Besides these two cured COVID-19 patients, six other suspected cases who tested negative were also discharged, they said.

Ladakh had recorded a total of 42 cases, of whom 21 had declared cured earlier and subsequently discharged. With two more patients recovering, 19 active cases are in Leh district and their condition is stable.

Chief Executive Councilor, LAHDC Kargil, Feroz Ahmad Khan congratulated the people of Kargil, administration, doctors, paramedics, and all frontline warriors for their tireless efforts to make Kargil COVID-19 free and appealed to the people to strictly adhere to the SOPs and guidelines as the threat posed by the disease still exists.

"With the influx of local residents in thousands, there is increased risk of COVID-19 infection and the responsibility for strictly adhering to preventive measures and adherence to SOPs is of paramount importance and every individual has to play his part," he said.

Khan said over 12,000 people including students, who are stranded outside Ladakh, are expected to reach Kargil in the coming days, while thousands have already returned from different parts of the country and abroad in the past two weeks.

"Over 300 stranded pilgrims in Iran are also expected to be evacuated shortly," he said.

Meanwhile, the evacuation of stranded passengers of Zanskar Sub Division from Jammu has almost completed as all the 950 registered persons, including students, have been evacuated to their hometown, the officials said.

They said efforts are on to evacuate 200 Zanskari students and 93 pilgrims from Manali, Dharamsala, and Rewalsar in Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.