J&K: Two suspected coronavirus patients suffering from 'high viral load'
Jammu: Two suspected coronavirus patients undergoing treatment at a hospital here were "high viral-load cases", the Jammu and Kashmir administration said on Saturday, while announcing an immediate suspension of all biometric attendance in the Union territory.
The administration also announced the closure of all primary schools in Jammu and Samba districts till March 31, an official spokesperson said.
"The test reports of the two suspected coronavirus patients were received, which spoke of them being high viral-load cases. There is a high probability of their testing positive for the infection," the spokesperson said.
He added that both the patients were kept in isolation at the Government Medical College, Jammu.
"They are stable and all protocols are being followed," the spokesperson said.
The two patients with a travel history to coronavirus-hit Italy and South Korea had fled the hospital's isolation ward on Wednesday shortly after their admission, but were brought back within hours. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.
The government appealed to the public to fully cooperate wherever quarantine was advised.
"All primary schools in Jammu and Samba districts will be closed till March 31 with immediate effect," the spokesperson said.
The final examinations are underway in most of the schools in the region. Officials said the exams were likely to be rescheduled after the opening of the schools.
The government also announced an immediate suspension of all biometric attendance in the Union territory till March 31, the spokesperson said, while advising people not to panic as adequate measures were put in place to meet the challenge.
Jammu and Kashmir has been put on alert to deal with any threat emerging from COVID-19 as around 200 people with a travel history to coronavirus-affected countries or who had contacts with people from such countries have been identified.
Nearly two dozen suspected cases have been tested in the Union territory till date but no positive case has been reported so far.
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Heatwave scorches Odisha, Jharsuguda reels under 43.6 degrees C
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Heatwave conditions scorched Odisha on Tuesday, with the IMD forecasting that hot and humid conditions would continue in parts of the state.
The IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts were likely to experience hot and humid conditions on April 22.
It also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds in parts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput, among others.
On Tuesday, 18 places across Odisha recorded maximum temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius or above. The industrial town of Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 43.6 degrees Celsius.
Sambalpur and Titlagarh recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius each, followed by Hirakud at 42.4 degrees, Bolangir at 42.2 degrees and Angul at 42.1 degrees.
The twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 37.9 degrees Celsius and 38.8 degrees Celsius, respectively, with relative humidity levels remaining above 70 per cent.
Meanwhile, the state government directed all district education officers to conduct a Summer Learning Programme for students till class 8 in government schools during the summer vacation.
Officials said students would be given practice assignments along with audio-visual learning content.
Subject-wise assignment sheets have been prepared, while related digital material will be shared through school parents' WhatsApp groups using a chatbot system, they said.
