J&K reports 1st case of coronavirus, total number of cases in India rise to 34

Jammu and Kashmir reported its first case of the deadly coronavirus on Saturday, taking the total number of positive cases in the country to 32 as per ANI sources.

The infected person is being treated at the government medical college in Jammu. 

Earlier in the day, the J&K administration had said that the test results of two people indicate a high possibility of a positive case of the disease.

All primary schools in Jammu and Samba districts of J&K have been ordered to close till March 31 with immediate effect. All biometric attendance in J&K to have also been suspended till March 31.

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Primary Schools To Remain Shut Till March 31

Two individuals suspected to be infected with Coronavirus who were kept in isolation at Government Medical College, Jammu. The patients were "high viral-load cases", the J&K administration said on Saturday while announcing immediate closure of all primary schools in Jammu and Samba districts. It also suspended all biometric attendance in the Union territory.

"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 told PTI.

The passengers with travel history to Italy and South Korea were shifted to the quarantine ward at a government medical college hospital on Wednesday. Earlier on March 5, the two individuals had fled from the hospital last night putting the lives of thousands of others at risk. Their samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune.

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Coronavirus suspects flee from quarantine facility in Jammu

Exposing the tall claims of the J&K administration of setting up facilities to tackle the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the newly formed union territory, two suspected patients who were quarantined in the Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu, fled from the hospital last night putting the lives of thousands of others at risk.

A day before, the authorities had said that two people with a travel history to Italy and South Korea were quarantined after they displayed symptoms of coronavirus. They were quarantined at the facility set up at the Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu.

However, both the suspected patients managed to flee from the quarantine facility even before their test results turned in.

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(with inputs from agencies)