Spurt in fresh infections across J&K, tally nears 18k, 10 more die, toll 318

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: The coronavirus continued its upward movement in Jammu and Kashmir, with 615 people testing positive for deadly virus on Sunday, taking the overall tally of infections close to 18-thousand mark, settling at 17920, even as 10 more people died due to Covid-19—one from Jammu and nine in Valley, pushing the total number of fatalities due to the deadly virus in union territory to 318.

Several areas of the winter capital were sealed and declared as containment zones after fresh cases emerged from there including DC office, residency road, Gadigarh in Satwari, while three employees of a private bank in Samba’s Vijaypur, 3 staffers of Raj Bhavan, 4 from DC office Jammu, a journalist from Rajouri, at least 8 cops including a Sub-Inspector from Ghagwal besides several security personnel and policemen tested positive on Sunday.

Out of total cases, 479 were reported in Valley and 136 in Jammu region, while the lockdown imposed over the weekend will come to an end on Monday morning 6 am onwards, the district administration announced. Jammu BJP President for J&K Ravinder Raina has, meanwhile, tested negative for Covid-19.

As many as 411 patients were discharged from the hospitals following their treatment—41 in Jammu and 370 in Kashmir. With this the recoveries also saw a massive rise, settling at 9928, while actives now stand at 7680.

The deaths related to covid-19 rose to 318 in Jammu and Kashmir after 10 fresh fatalities on Sunday, one from Jammu district and 9 of them in Valley.

A health official from CD hospital Jammu said that a 75-year-old female from Gadigarh, Karan Bagh who was admitted to hospital on 24 July with hypertension, diabetes and other ailments died on 26 July at a 12:30 am.

Nine more patients died across Kashmir Valley including a 58-year-old cop from Kupwara, an 80-year-old man from Beerwah Budgam, a 68-year-old male from Safa Kadal Srinagar, a 65-year-old-male from Pulwama, a 64-year old male from Rangreth Srinagar, a 70-year-old male from Basant Bagh Srinagar, a 65-year-old male from Pulwama, a 48-year-old lady from Nowhere Srinagar and a 59-year-old male from Kupwara.

An official from CD hospital Srinagar said that a 58-year-old police official from Kupwara who was suffering from pneumonia, hypertension and diabetes died on Sunday morning.

He added that an 80-year-old man from Beerwah Budgam who was admitted on 18 July with multiple ailments died on Sunday.

The official further said that a 65-year-old patient from Pulwama was admitted on 22 July while as a 68-year-old male from Safa Kadal Srinagar was admitted days before, who were suffering from multiple ailments died on Sunday.

"A 64-year-old patient from Rangreth Srinagar with pneumonia and other ailments died hours after being referred from SMHS to CD hospital," he said.

An official from SMHS said that a 70-year old male from Basant Bagh Srinagar who was suffering from pneumonia and admitted on 25 July died on Sunday.

He further added that a 65-year-old male from Pulwama who was suffering from hypertension, diabetes and bilateral pneumonia and admitted on 23 July died on Sunday.

An official from SKIMS informed that a 48-year-old woman from Nowshera Srinagar who was admitted on 14 July with multiple ailments died on Sunday.

He further added that a 59-year-old man from Kupwara who was admitted on 21 July with underlying medical conditions died on Sunday.

With these deaths, the toll of deaths related to COVID-19 has reached to 318 which include 295 from Kashmir division and 23 from Jammu.

There was no let up in the number of new cases, with Jammu and Kashmir recording 615 cases on Sunday, taking the infections tally to 17920. 479 of them were recorded in Valley while Jammu region also recorded 136 cases.

Of 136 cases in Jammu region, 37 cases were reported from Jammu, 33 from Rajouri, 15 from Ramban,

14 each from Doda and Poonch districts, 10 from Samba, 6 from Udhampur, 5 from Kathua and 2 cases from Kishtwar.

There was no respite in Jammu district for the second consecutive day, with 37 people including 27 travelers testing positive for Coronavirus. They included three officials of Raj Bhawan Jammu who had returned from Srinagar and four from DC office Jammu including a female, a petitioner writer, a security guard and sanitary worker engaged in the premises of the complex.

“The entire complex of DC office with external holding area on Wazarat road is declared temporarily as containment zone for extensive sanitization,” said the district administration.

Among other cases, four members of a family at Resham Ghar area tested positive after coming in contact with one of the member who tested positive few days back, while a 3-year-old child along with his father were also found positive from Gandhi Nagar, where both of them were under home quarantine.

As many as 33 persons were reported positive in Rajouri including 6 travellers already in quarantine while 27 were locals with no history of travel.

“They included 9 persons from Rajouri town including one bank employee and one GMC Worker, while Nowshera also reported 9 cases including 3 JKP personnel, a journalist, ward member and a revenue official. 3 persons each from Sunderbani and Budhal while 2 from Kalakote were among other cases,” an official informed.

Later on Sunday evening, Rajouri recorded 57 recoveries, its highest so far.

As many as 14 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bhaderwah town of Doda following which the administration extended the already imposed complete lockdown for indefinite period.

“The restrictions will be in place till further orders to make way for a smooth contact-tracing and sampling exercise of the fresh cases,” Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Bhaderwah, Adil Rishu said.

The curbs in Bhaderwah were initially imposed on July 21 after 30 positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in Doda. This is the third time that the lockdown has been extended.

"We have extended the complete lockdown till further orders after 14 more persons were found coronavirus positive. Contact-tracing and sampling of them is still going on and will take sometime," Rishu said, adding that the situation will be reviewed on Monday.

The new cases include government employees posted in different departments in Bhaderwah town, the officials said, adding that no relaxation will be granted even for medical shops, they added.
Samba reported 10 more cases including a 44-year-old shopkeeper from village Sahah Balode and three employees of a private bank at Vijaypur including a female.

“A 27-year-old girl from Bari Brahmana, a 26 –year-old man from Nonath in Ghagwal and a 34-year-old man from Dabbar Mandi Gurha Salathia---all employees of Axis Bank’s Vijaypur branch have tested positive,” an official said, adding their samples were taken last week after one of their colleagues had tested positive for Coronavirus.

A 59-year-old JKP sub-inspector from Ghagwal posted at Police Post Kakryal in Reasi district, a 22-year-old labourer from Uttar Pradesh, a 29-year-old BSF soldier from Purmandal who arrived from West Bengal, and a 34-year-old woman from Mandi Garh with no travel history were among other cases from Samba.

Poonch reported 14 cases including 12 travelers who were already in quarantine while one among the other two cases was a Police Personnel while the other was a J&K bank employee in Loran.

Their contacts are being worked out to identify possible source of infection while the administration has asked the recent visitors to the bank branch to come forward and get tested.

As per a media bulletin, among the 479 fresh Valley cases, 209 were reported from Srinagar, 14 from Baramulla, 2 from Kulgam, 27 from Shopian, 25 from Anantnag, 17 from Kupwara, 25 from Pulwama, 88 from Budgam, 41 from Bandipora and 31 from Ganderbal.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 17920 positive cases, 7680 are Active Positive, 9928 have recovered and 312 have died; 23 in Jammu division and 289 in Kashmir division.

The Bulletin further said that out of 581707 test results available, 563787 samples have been tested as negative till July 26, 2020.

Additionally, till date 354869 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for observation which included 44429 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 12 in Hospital Quarantine, 7680 in hospital isolation and 40180 under home surveillance. Besides, 262256 persons have completed their surveillance period.