COVID-19: 5 test positive in Jammu, 3 in Valley; total 70
Ladakh registers first case after 13 days, tally rises to 14
TNN Bureau. Updated: 4/3/2020 12:19:23 PM

JAMMU: Eight new positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday—five from Jammu region and three from Kashmir Valley, taking the total number of cases in the Union Territory to 70, even as the first coronavirus patient of the valley -- a 67-year-old woman from the old city area -- was discharged from hospital after recovering from the disease.
"Today, eight people tested positive taking the number of coronavirus cases in the union territory to 70," Director National Health Mission (NHM) Bhupinder Kumar told reporters in Jammu.
He said five cases have been reported from Jammu and three from the Kashmir valley.
The five infected people in Jammu are contacts of old cases and similarly in Kashmir, one has a travel history to Saudi Arabia and two are from contacts of positive cases.
Out of the 70, fifty-three are from Kashmir division and 17 from Jammu division.
In Jammu region, three cases were detected from Jammu district including father, wife and servant of an infected doctor posted in the Microbiology Department of the Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu.
The other two more persons are contacts of Coronavirus patients and hailed from Udhampur district.
In Kashmir region, the three new patients belong to Sopore, Bandipora, and Budgam.
One among the three patients who tested positive today is a 70-year-old who had returned from Saudi Arabia on 15th March after performing Umrah. The patient had reported to Sopore administration following the announcement that who had returned from outside India should report to local authorities.
Reports further suggest that he was admitted to Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar after his test came negative; following his test he was discharged. However, on Tuesday, he along with his nephew had complained of uneasiness in breathing and was shifted to Government Medical College, Baramulla.
His samples were sent to SKIMS Soura, where the reports came out to be positive today.
The sources said that the other two patients include a 20-year-old youth from SaderKote Balla, Bandipora, who as per the reports had come in contact with Covid-19 patients and a 53-year-old from Soibugh in Budgam, who as per the reports had met his son in law who has tested positive for Coronavirus.
All of the patients are at the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science (SKIMS).
Kumar said the first positive case for coronavirus in Kashmir has recovered and has been discharged.
On March 18, the woman, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, tested positive. The first positive case in the valley had prompted authorities to impose restrictions in many parts of the city which were later extended to entire union territory after more cases came were detected.
According to the daily media bulletin on novel coronavirus, out of the 70 positive cases, 65 are active cases, three have recovered and two have died.
Till date 17,677 people who came in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance.
While 10, 694 persons are in home quarantine, including in facilities operated by the government, 622 are in hospital quarantine, 65 in hospital isolation and 4,109 under home surveillance.
Besides, 2187 persons have completed their 28 days surveillance period.
The bulletin further said till date 1,084 samples have been sent for testing of which 1,010 have tested negative, 70 positive and reports of four are awaited.
Meanwhile, a man from Kargil also tested positive for coronavirus, becoming the first fresh case in the union territory after 13 days.
"The test of one person has arrived. He is positive. The person belongs to Sanjak area of Chitan belt of Kargil", Commissioner (Health) Rigzin Samphel told reporters in Leh.
“The infected person is already in quarantine in a hospital,” he said, adding that the efforts are being made to trace all his contacts.
This was the first patient tested positive for the deadly virus after a gap of 13-days. On March 18, three persons were tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh and since then no case was reported till today, officials said.
The total number of positive cases in Ladakh UT has reached to 14 with three recoveries, they said adding that three positive cases were reported from Kargil district while 11 were reported from Leh.



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