JEHANGIR RASHID
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 15: After a brief respite of one day there was a spike in the Corona Virus cases in Jammu & Kashmir as 22 more persons tested positive for COVID-19 in the union territory. While 18 cases were reported from Kashmir four others came to the fore from the Jammu division.
With today's positive cases the number of COVID-19 patients in the union territory reached 300. However, there was some light at the end of the tunnel as six more persons recovered from the virus and they were discharged from the hospitals today. With today's recoveries the number of people who have recovered is 36. As such there are 260 active cases since four persons have also died.
In the Kashmir valley the fresh cases were reported from Ganderbal (eight cases), Bandipora (three cases), Srinagar (three cases), Baramulla (two cases) and Kupwara (two cases). With two more doctors testing positive in Jammu six doctors have so far been infected by Corona Virus across Jammu region.
Reports said that one doctor was in direct contact with Tablighi Jamaat activists who had attended the Nizammudin congregation. The retired doctor had attended a religious function at Bari Brahmana and came in touch Tablighi, who was also tested positive. Among six doctors tested positive, one has been cured and discharged from the hospital.
A female dentist in the CHC Garhi in Udhampur district, a resident of Colonel Colony, Talab Tillo, has also tested positive. However, her husband, who is a doctor posted in Kathua and other contacts were tested negative. Earlier a doctor- serving in the Microbiology Department of GMC, tested positive last week.
The government through the media bulletin informed that 22 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), 18 from Kashmir division and four from Jammu division, have been reported today, thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 300. Out of 300 cases, 260 are active positive, 36 have recovered and four have died.
"Furthermore, till date 56,595 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which includes 7,784 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 270 in hospital quarantine, 260 in hospital isolation and 30,228 under home surveillance. Besides, 18049 persons have completed their surveillance period of 28 days, the bulletin said.
The bulletin said that six more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged today. Out of this four were discharged from SKIMS, Soura and two others were discharged from DH Pulwama. The bulletin further said that 4,871 samples have tested as negative till April 15, 2020.
The bulletin said that Srinagar has 76 positive cases wherein 64 are active positive, 11 recovered and one has died, Bandipora 56 positive cases with 45 active positive, 10 recovered and one died, Baramulla 42 positive cases with 41 active positive, and one died; Kupwara has 25 positive cases and all are active cases.
The bulletin said that Shopian has 14 positive cases out of which 12 are active positive, two recovered; Ganderbal has 13 positive cases which are all active cases, Budgam 11 positive cases of which eight are active positive and three recovered cases; Kulgam has five cases which are all active positive; Pulwama three positive cases where two are active positive and one recovered and Anantnag district has one positive case which is active positive.
Similarly, Jammu has 26 positive cases of whom 23 are active positive and three have recovered, Udhampur 20 positive cases of which 15 are active positive, four recovered and one died, while as Rajouri has three positive cases with two active positive, one recovered; Samba district has four positive cases which are all active positive. Meanwhile, Kishtwar has only one positive case which has recovered.
The advisory through the bulletin said that COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease which spreads fast and can infect any one. "We can protect ourselves through social distancing, taking basic precautions for personal hygiene; frequent hand washing with soap & water; observing coughing & sneezing etiquettes and wearing mask or face cover while moving out." Despite all precautions, advisory said, if anybody catches the infection, it is not their fault. In situation of distress, the patient and the family need support and cooperation. "It must be noted that most people recover from it, and those who have recovered from COVID-19 should not face discrimination," reads the advisory. |
