Three more persons, including two from Leh and one from Kargil, tested positive for COVID-19 during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of active cases in the Union Territory of Ladakh to 34.

Ladakh UT spokesperson Rigzin Samphel said that three people tested positive for COVID-19 in Ladakh on Saturday. “These including two from Leh and one from Kargil,” he said.

He said both positive COVID-19 cases are students, who have returned from Delhi. “One is from Chuchot Yokma other is from Phyang,” he added.

Mr Samphel said the patient from Kargil is a close contact of another positive case.

With this, official sources said that the total number of active cases in the Union Territory stand at 34.

They said of the total active cases, 27 are from Kargil and seven are from Leh.

Meanwhile, the authorities have asked locals not to panic, saying that all the new COVID-19 positive cases are the people who have returned from different parts of the country. “17 people from Kargil were tested positive for COVID-19. All the positive cases were on the same bus which came from Delhi. As people stayed in close proximity for over 48 hours in the bus, the infection spread,” Dr Vilayat Ali, Nodal officer of Isolation centre in Kargil, said.

He said the authorities were fully prepared for it and all arrangements were already in place to tackle such situation. “Hopefully, the Ladakh will again be COVID-19 free,” he added.   

The Union Territory was declared COVID-19 free in the middle of May. But, after remaining Coronavirus free fresh cases started to immerge once again in both the districts of Ladakh.