Irrational information to understand Corona perspective!
RS Gill
People have sharply reacted to the new classification of Jammu, Samba and Kathua in Red Zone from the earlier declared Orange one as the social media flooded with imminent questions that remain unanswered properly except for the official justification of probable sensitivity on account of expected arrival of stranded persons from outside for which the Administration has yet to prepare for.
Jammu region has shown tremendous patience, cooperation and wisdom in containing the Covid-19 spread while suffering equally and in solidarity with rest of the people of J&K. The new classification from Green to Orange to Red goes as if it was earlier an undeclared melon or water-melon category that the administration just found out it like green from outside and red from inside!
In absence of objective perspective, a common query is all about the criteria behind establishing to which region does a COVID-19 infected person belong? Comparison of Information Department's ‘Covid cases' tracker charts of last two days shows increase of three cases in Samba district that obviously had caused panic among the people of Samba and such reports would be inconsistent with the statement of Lt Governor Mr. Murmu urging people not to be panicked.
Our reporter from Samba clarified that three fresh cases detected positive in Samba district were actually ‘transit cases' who were intercepted while entering the district from Kathua side in a truck and one from Jammu. These entrants were caught by alert cops at checking points and transferred to Quarantine Centre at Nonath (Samba) and that they were only detected in Samba but did not belong to Samba. There have been 80 such transit cases in Nonath (Samba) quarantine centre.
Similarly, on an earlier occasion, a Covid patient detected in Ramban on way to Kashmir was later transferred to Jammu from Ramban on deterioration of his health condition actually belonged to Kashmir.
While the Covid situation is a serious issue and one feels improper to see the Corona victims through regional lens, this could have wider implications in understanding the logistics of relative intensity of Corona presence in particular zone in right perspective. It will also helps in making appropriate strategy to contain the Corona effect and its spreading scare among the population of the district/Zone/region in which such misinformation is being reported and for resultant categorisation of the district/zone. The government should open up on this issue too.
