J&K: First batch of 369 students stranded in Kota return amid lockdown, get screened

The first batch of 369 Jammu and Kashmir students, who were stranded in Kota in Rajasthan due to lockdown, have returned, said the state government on Monday. Soon after their arrival, they were screened for COVID-19 pandemic and later have been sent to their respective districts where they will be put under quarantine, the officials said. The government had provided 15 buses for their travel.

Reports suggest, of the 369 students, 213 are from Kashmir and the rest are from Jammu and Ladakh. Eight buses with students of Kashmir and Ladakh left for Srinagar. Six students of Kargil, who had completed administrative quarantine in Kathua, also boarded the Ladakh-bound bus,” an official said. Officials said a group of 57 students from Ladakh is also travelling from Kota to their home districts. From Lakhanpur of Kathua district, the students were sent to their respective districts after being screened for COVID-19.

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24 new COVID cases in J&K

Earlier, students from Jammu and Kashmir, who were kept in a quarantine facility at Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer after their return from Iran, were brought back by the administration after they completed their quarantine period. Several political parties in the valley had expressed concern over the students from the Union Territory stranded in various parts of the country and appealed to the administration to make arrangements for their return. Meanwhile, 24 persons on Monday tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the overall tally of the COVID-19 patients in J&K near 550-mark.

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Among them, 15 were confirmed at Viral Diagnostic Lab of SKIMS Soura and include five each from Baramulla and Shopian, 3 from Bandipora and one each from Budgam and Kupwara districts. Eight other cases were confirmed at the COVID-19 testing laboratory at Chest Disease hospital Dalgate and include six from Anantnag district and one each from Srinagar and Kulgam districts. Also, Jammu division reported one fresh case and is said to be a man in late 40s. This is the first case from Reasi district. As per the official data, till late Sunday, there were 523 cases and new cases take the overall tally to near 550-mark.

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