26 JKB employees, 20 SFs among 240 fresh cases Youth NC Jammu prez among 6 die, infection spike continues

3 inmates injured in police action after protest at Thandi Khui

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: The district president of Youth National Conference in Jammu was among six fresh fatalities due to the Covid-19, taking the toll in the union territory to 155, even as the rise in the fresh cases continued, with 240 more persons testing positive for Coronavirus on Thursday across Jammu and Kashmir, taking its tally to 9501.
The fresh cases included 26 employees of J&K bank’s corporate headquarters in Srinagar, 20 personnel of security forces, four pregnant women, five essential service providers, two employees from Sopore Court besides a nine-day-old female baby.
The bank’s headquarters at TRC Srinagar will remain partially shut for a day tomorrow to sanitize the offices, and floors. The offices of only vice-presidents and management will remain open.
All the 26 positive employees have been quarantined and their contacts are being traced, even as bank appealed to the employees who have come in contact with the infected employees to voluntarily go for Covid sampling so that lives of others are protected.
In Samba, Sumb area was sealed after a shopkeeper and a CRPF jawan tested positive there, even as intense contact tracing was on, while police resorted to cane-charge after inmates at Thandi Khui quarantine centre in the district held a demonstration over inadequate supply of food and water, and delay in test reports. Three protesters sustained minor injuries in the incident.
Jammu and Kashmir recorded six deaths today, including the Jammu District President of Youth National Conference.
The 38-year-old was admitted in GMC Jammu’s CCU Ward with severe respiratory tract infection on July 7. “He was on oxygen since admission and put on ventilator yesterday evening,” Principal GMC Jammu NC Digra said. He expired at 7:15 pm in isolation ward of GMC Jammu, he said.
National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah and Vice President Omar Abdullah today expressed deep grief over the passing away of the party leader. In his condolences message, Farooq described the death as a great loss to the party, saying the vacuum created is hard to be filled.
“Sadly we lost (him) a few minutes ago. He had been put on a ventilator but the medical teams, in spite of their best efforts, couldn’t stabilise him. He leaves behind a wife & two young kids,” former chief minister Omar tweeted.
In Valley, five more deaths were reported today. A 65-year-old woman from Kulgam died at SKIMS Bemina, one of the exclusive facilities meant for the management of the covid-19 in the Valley. The sexagenarian was referred from Kulgam and died this afternoon, Dr Shifa Deva, Medical Superintendent of the hospital said.
“Having breathlessness, she was admitted at around 7 p.m. on July 8. She was having pneumonia besides other underlying ailments such as hypertension,” she said.
Earlier in the day, 80-year-old, 60-year-old and 70-year-old women from Srinagar Baramulla, and Pulwama districts respectively died.
Dr Nazir Choudhary informed that the octogenarian from Natipora Srinagar died at 4:15 a.m.
Admitted to the hospital on June 1, Dr Chodhary said that she had underlying ailments like hypertension, diabetes and community-acquired bilateral pneumonia (CAP).
Regarding 70-year-old from Pulwama, Dr Choudhary said she was having multiple problems including bilateral pneumonia. She was admitted on July 6 and died today, he added.
Meanwhile, the sexagenarian woman from Pattan area of north Kashmir district died at CD hospital, one among the exclusive facilities for the management of the covid-19 patients.
“She was admitted in ICU of the hospital on June 6 with hypertension, hypothyroidism and bilateral pneumonia,” Dr Salim Tak, Medical Superintendent of the CD hospital, told.
Officials said that fifth covid-19 death of the day was reported from Shopian. The elderly woman had died few days ago at her home but her sample was taken at the local hospital where she was treated which came out positive today.
With these deaths, 140 people in Kashmir and 15 in Jammu division have died so far due to the virus.
Srinagar district with 39 deaths has the highest fatalities followed by Baramulla (31), Kulgam (18), Shopian (15), Anantnag (12), Budgam (11), Jammu (9), Kupwara (7), Pulwama (5), Bandipora (3), Doda (2) while one death each has been reported from Ganderbal, Poonch, Udhampur, Rajouri and Kathua.
J&K also reported 240 new infections on Thursday, including 26 employees of J&K bank’s corporate headquarters in Srinagar, 20 personnel of security forces—11 Army soldiers and three Policemen from BB Cant Srinagar, a trooper of 117 Bn CRPF Ganderbal, three SSB men from Sopore, two policemen from DPL Handwara-- four pregnant women, five essential service providers, two employees from Sopore Court besides a nine-day-old female baby.
Among the fresh cases, 55 were recorded in Jammu region and 185 in Valley while 128 people—54 in Jammu and 74 in Valley— were discharged from hospitals today, taking recoveries to 5695. Out of the total infections in J&K, 3652 are active positive.
Of 55 cases in Jammu region, 12 were reported from Jammu, 4 from Kathua, 9 from Samba, 5 from Poonch, 18 from Rajouri, 3 from Doda and 4 from Kishtwar.
The Rajouri cases included 14 with travel history including 1 official of GMC Rajouri, while 4 were from the contacts of earlier poitive cases including 3 from red Zone Draj and 1 from Rajouri Town without any travel history.
As many as 54 patients including 29 from Udhampur, 19 from Rajouri, 4 from Samba, 2 each from Ramban and Doda, and one each from Kathua and Jammu were discharged from hospitals after their recovery.
As per a media bulletin, among the 185 fresh Valley cases, 58 were reported from Srinagar, 02 from Kulgam, 37 from Baramulla, 07 from Shopian, 08 from Anantnag, 32 from Kupwara, 04 from Pulwama, 18 from Budgam, 05 from Bandipora and 14 from Ganderbal.
Among new cases, 60 were tested positive at SKIMS, 14 at JVC Bemina and rest at other hospitals.
An official at SKIMS said 60 new cases include 17 from Budgam, 16 from Srinagar, six from Baramulla, five each from Bandipora and Anantnag, three from Ganderbal, two from Shopian and one each from Kulgam and kargil.
Dr Reyaz Untoo, Principal at JVC Bemina told that out of 443 samples tested at SKIMS Bemina (JVC) 13 from Shopian tested positive.
According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 9501 positive cases, 3652 are Active Positive, 5695 have recovered and 154 have died; 14 in Jammu division and 140 in Kashmir division.
The Bulletin further said that out of 429787 test results available, 420286 samples have been tested as negative till July 9, 2020.
Additionally, till date 306434 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which included 38939 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 44 in Hospital Quarantine, 3,652 in hospital isolation and 45713 under home surveillance. Besides, 217932 persons have completed their surveillance period.