J&K govt closes schools, caps gathering after surge in cases

Tally reaches to 1.33 Lakh, death toll swells to 2008

Six GMC students test +ve

Jammu: After reporting more than 500 cases for three consecutive days, the Jammu and Kashmir administration closed all schools for students up to Class 9 for two weeks from April 5 and restricted the gatherings to 200. The Union Territory recorded highest single day count with 573 cases pushing the tally to 1,33,012 while death toll reached to 2008 with three fresh fatalities.
Earlier, many schools in many districts were shut in the last few days after many students and teachers tested positive for COVID-19.
“Physical classes for students from classes 10 to 12 will also be suspended for a week,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's office said in a tweet on Sunday.
This comes days after the Jammu and Kashmir administration asked all district magistrates to take a call on the continuation of physical classes in schools amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the union territory.
"In view of rising trend in #COVID19 cases in J&K & likelihood of young children getting infected & transmitting infection in large numbers, ALL classes up to & including Class 9 in schools will be closed for 2 weeks in all schools beginning on Monday, 5 April till 18 April, 21 in J&K," Sinha's office tweeted.
Schools for students of classes 10, 11 and 12 will also be closed for a week, it said.
"Further, all gatherings for social and customary functions will be restricted to 200 only and after following due COVID SOPs," it added.
In this regard an official issued by Disaster Management Authority reads that classes upto Class 9 would remain closed for two weeks from Monday while Class 10 to 12 will remain closed for one week.
COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir have shown an upward trajectory over the last few weeks.
The union territory had recorded 573 fresh COVID-19 cases on Sunday. Moreover, Six students of Government Medical College (GMC) here tested positive .
The students, including five girls staying in hostels, tested positive for the infection during a special rapid antigen test (RAT) drive here.
He said GMC, Jammu, conducted the tests for staff and students in view of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory.
"Isolation of all COVID positive students has been arranged at the Maternal Child Hospital (MCH) Gandhi Nagar, Jammu," the spokesperson said, adding the hostel premises have beem sanitized.
He said the GMC management has decided that the RAT tests would be done periodically.
Among fresh cases 22 were from the Jammu division and 451 from the Kashmir division.
The officials said Srinagar district recorded a maximum of 208 cases, including 62 travellers, followed by 92 in Jammu and 84 in Baramulla districts.
Two districts did not report any fresh cases, while seven other districts had cases in single digits. Budgam, Anantnag, Pulwama, Bandipora, Kupwara, Kulgam, Shopian and Kathua were the other districts to register cases in double digits.
The number of active COVID-19 cases has now reached 3,955 in the Union Territory, while 1,27,049 patients have recovered so far, the officials said.
Jammu recorded one death from the pandemic while two fatalities linked to the virus were reported from Kashmir in the past 24 hours, they said.
Moreover, 189 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals including 39 from Jammu Division and 150 from Kashmir Division.
According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel Corona virus (Covid-19), out of 133012 positive cases, 3955 are Active Positive, 127049 have recovered and 2008have died; 741 in Jammu division and 1267 in Kashmir division.
The Bulletin further said that out of 6211099test results available, 6078087 samples have been tested as negative till 04thApril, 2021.
Till date 1540680 persons have been enlisted for observation which included 48489 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 3955 in isolation and 121219in home surveillance. Besides, 1365009 persons have completed their surveillance period.
Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Srinagar has 29807 positive cases (including 208 cases reported today) with 1526 Active Positive, 27807recovered (including 88 cases recovered today), 474 deaths; Baramulla has 9183 positive cases (including 84 cases reported today)with 601Active Positive, 8401 recovered (including 32 cases recovered today), 181 deaths; Budgam reported 8398 positive cases (including 41 cases reported today)with 309 active positive cases, 7968 recovered (including 15cases recovered today), 121 deaths; Pulwama has 6030 positive cases (including 10 cases reported today)with 101 Active Positive, 5837 recovered (including 06 cases recovered today)and 92 deaths; Kupwara has 5857 positive cases (including 16 cases reported today), 102 Active Positive, 5658recoveries (including 07 cases recovered today), 97 deaths; Anantnag district has 5234 positive cases (including 17 cases reported today)with 88 Active Positive, 5050 recovered (including 02 cases recovered today), 96 deaths; Bandipora has 4808 positive cases (including 18 cases reported today), with66 Active Positive and 4679 recoveries, 63 deaths; Ganderbal has 4745 positive cases (including 08 cases reported today)with 49 Active Positive, 4647 recoveriesand49deaths; Kulgam has 2915 positive cases (including 37 cases reported today)with 154 Active Positive, 2707 recoveries and 54 deaths while as Shopian has 2668 positive cases (including 12 cases reported today),37 active positive cases, 2591 recoveries and 40 deaths.
Similarly, Jammu has 26196 positive cases (including 92 cases reported today) with 661 active positive cases, 25152recoveries (including 19 cases recovered today), 383 deaths; Udhampur has 4378 positive cases (including 07 cases reported today), 39active positive cases, 4281 recoveriesand58 deaths; Rajouri has 3912 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today)with 28 active positive, 3828 recoveries and 56 deaths; Doda has 3466 positive cases (including 03 cases reported today)with13 Active positive, 3389 recovered (including 01 cases recovered today)and 64 deaths; Kathua has 3393 positive cases (including 11 cases reported today), 82 active positive cases, 3258 recovered(including 16 cases recovered today) and 53 deaths; Kishtwar has 2756 positive cases with 17 Active Positive, 2717 recoveriesand22 deaths; Samba has 2882 positive cases (including 04cases reported today)with 33 active positive cases, 2808 recoveries and 41 deaths; Poonch has 2553 positive cases (including 01 cases reported today)with19active positive, 2508recoveriesand 26 deaths; Ramban has 2165 positive cases (including 02 cases reported today)with24 active positive cases, 2119 recoveries (including 01 cases recovered today)and 22 deaths while Reasi has 1666 positive with 06 active positive cases, 1644 recoveries and 16 deaths.
According to the bulletin, among the total 133012 positive cases in J&K, 13720 have been reported as travelers while 119292 as others.
The Bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing.
The bulletin added that there are 1091 COVID dedicated beds, 962 Isolation beds with 1006 vacant beds and 129 ICU beds where 103 beds are vacant in Jammu division while there are 1570 COVID dedicated beds, 1484 Isolation beds where 1344 beds are vacant and 86 ICU beds where 69are vacant beds in Kashmir division. There are a total of 2661 COVID dedicated beds, 2446 Isolation beds with 2350 beds vacant and 215 ICU beds with 172vacant beds in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.