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Updated: Apr 23, 2020 18:14 IST

Pulwama in south Kashmir has become the first district in the valley to be declared coronavirus-free as all three patients have recovered from the infection, according to a bulletin issued by the Union territory’s administration on Thursday.

However, officials are worried about the increasing number of cases in the neighbouring district Shopian.

Three Covid-19 cases were reported in Pulwama from two villages – Khaigam and Chandpora. The first case was detected on March 10 and two more cases were reported earlier this month. Since then, no case has been reported from the district.

Pulwama district hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Jameel said, “All three coronavirus patients in Pulwama district have now recovered from the infection. The patients who were undergoing treatment at SKIMS have been discharged from the hospital.”

Pulwama district magistrate said that exact field status shall be known once the door-to-door survey is completed in these areas which will commence from Friday. “The community needs to understand that it is very premature to draw any inference at this stage and appealed the people for universalisation of usage of face masks and adoption of safety measures like social distancing and sanitisation,” he said adding that rapid antibody testing may start soon at an intensive scale when instructions are received in this regard from the government.

The administration is keeping a strict vigil on public movement in the areas bordering Shopian and Budgam where many villages have been declared as red zones. Shopian has the highest number of positive cases in the district at 46, of which six have recovered.

The major roads connecting these districts are on a regular guard and villages Heerpora, Beminpora, Meemendar, Palpora, Sindishirmal, Kanipora, Sedow and Kanidajan, Palar and Batpora have been declared as red zones in the two districts.

Pulwama’s chief medical officer Dr Haseena Mir in a statement said that more than a hundred people are under quarantine and continuous testing is being done to rule out any positive Covid-19 case.