Surge continues in J&K with 5720 new cases, 5 more deaths

The daily case load of the Covid-19 cases continues to remain high as 5720 fresh cases were reported on Friday pushing the infection tally to 3,84,381, while five more fatalities pushed the death toll to 4,591.
Out of four deaths reported from Jammu region, three were fully vaccinated.

Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha while reviewed COVID-19 situation today passed explicit directions to increase testing in the areas where more cases are being reported.

The Lt Governor further stressed that the local administration should try their best to reduce the rate of positivity and also ensure that required medical facilities are made available to all the needy persons. “Authorities on the ground should focus more on local containment to safeguard public health and momentum of economic activities”, he said. The Lt Governor also emphasized on usage of mobile clinics to create awareness amongst the COVID-19 patients who are in home isolation as well as those in rural areas.

Meanwhile, in the wake an exponential surge in Covid-19 cases in the Union Territory, following which authorities on Friday imposed a 64-hour lockdown to curb the surge. The authorities banned non-essential movement of people across Kashmir as the UT saw a rise in cases since the beginning of the new year. The restriction were announced by the police in the afternoon after the government ordered complete restriction on non-essential movement from 2 pm on Friday till 6 am on Monday in the entire Jammu and Kashmir.

However, the shops and other business establishments in the city remained open after 2 pm, following the Chamber Commerce and Industry urged the Jammu district administration to extend the business operations by seven more hours till 9 pm. However elsewhere in the region – shops which had opened this morning – were forced by police to shut in view of the restrictions. The police closed the markets and asked people to return to their homes. Only employees and emergency cases were allowed to move and all other non-essential movement was restricted. The district authorities appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration and curtail their movement in view of the rising cases.

Meanwhile, out of five deaths, four were reported from Jammu region were all male persons. Three of the them were had received both vaccine doses. The deceased included two 80 year old-one of Talab-Tillo and Chinore, while a 37 year old male and another 55 year old from of Reasi treatment. All of them were under treatment in Government Medical Hospital in Jammu. As per sources after many staffers were found positive in sub-registrar office at Marh, the authorities have suspended the public dealing for next seven days.

As sources few more doctors and paramedics have tested positive in the Government Medical College Hospital Jammu and associated hospitals Jammu. However at the same few of the doctors and paramedics who contracted the virus have cured and even have rejoined the respective duties. Around 550 doctors and paramedics had tested positive in GMCH&AHs since January 1.

During the targeted testing, 40 at Government Girls High School, Gandhi Nagar, 13 each at Government MAC Muthi and Civil Secretariat Jammu, seven at UHC, Trikuta Nagar and five more tested positive today at Aadhar Card office.

In the meeting Lieutenant Governor also instructed the officials to expedite the ongoing Vaccination drive. “Vaccination will continue to be the most effective tool to fight pandemic. Our focus is to saturate precautionary doses to front-line workers and senior citizens”, the Lt Governor asserted.

Meanwhile, the Samba district has notified two Covid care centres for keeping the patients affected by the virus. JKEDI , Bari-Brahmana and Bhargawa Engineering College, Supwal were designated as Covid care centres.
Of the fresh cases, 1,890 were from the Jammu division and 3,830 from the Kashmir division of the union territory, they said. Srinagar district recorded the highest number of fresh cases at 1,341, followed by 1,306 in Jammu district. There are 34,882 active coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir, while 3,44,908 patients have recovered so far, the officials said. The number of mucormycosis (black fungus) cases in the union territory stands at 51. No fresh case has been reported since last evening, they said.