Civil Secretariat employees, IAS officer among 349 tests +vein J&K
With a fresh spurt in infection, 349 people including a senior IAS office, civil secretariat as well as employees of several showrooms tested positive for the deadly infection and three fresh fatalities pushed the death toll of Union Territory to 4533. Moreover, a person was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir police for anti-vaccine campaign.
“From past two days the Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed spurt in the infection as the active case load crossed 2000 mark,” a health official told The News Now.
With 116 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 336,186 which is 98.08 percent of the total cases.
“Cases tested positive in J&K include 80 from Srinagar, 21 from Baramulla, 16 from Budgam, 09 from Pulwama, 06 from Kupwara, 00 from Anantnag, 09 from Bandipora, 05 from Ganderbal, 00 each from Kulgam and 01 Shopian in Kashmir division while as 202 from Jammu division include 119 from Jammu division, 14 from Udhampur, 08 from Rajouri, 01 from Doda, 07 from Kathua, 02 from Samba, 04 from Kishtwar, 13 from Poonch, 01 from Ramban and 33 from Reasi,” officials disclosed.
Meanwhile, authorities said that no fresh cases of Mucormycosis popularly known as black fungus was reported in the UT and the tally stands at 51.
As per officials figures, 79,128 positive cases including 884 deaths and 77,729 recoveries are from Srinagar, 26,071 including 291 deaths and 25,647 recoveries are from Baramulla, 24,573 including 24,281 recoveries and 217 deaths are from Budgam, 15,768 including 15,514 recoveries and 195 deaths are from Pulwama, 15,009 including 167 deaths and 14,788 recoveries are from Kupwara, 16,749 including 16,521 recoveries and 208 deaths are from Anantnag, 10,194 cases including 10,051 and 111 deaths are from Bandipora, 11,046 including 10,883 recoveries and 82 deaths are from Ganderbal, 11,562 including 11,429 recoveries and 118 deaths are from Kulgam and 5,621 including 5,559 recoveries and 59 deaths are from Shopian.
In Jammu division, 54,603 including 52,856 recoveries and 1,158 deaths are from Jammu district, 11,523 including 11,336 recoveries and 139 deaths are from Udhampur, 11,403 including 11,138 recoveries and 240 deaths are from Rajouri, 8,084 including 7,891 recoveries and 137 deaths are from Doda, 9,422 including 9,234 recoveries and 153 deaths are from Kathua, 7,194 including 7,059 recoveries and 120 deaths are from Samba, 4,863 including 4,809 recoveries and 44 deaths are from Kishtwar, 6,645 including 6,501 recoveries and 100 deaths are from Poonch, 6,087 including 6,006 recoveries and 67 deaths are from Ramban and 7,223 including 6,954 recoveries and 43 deaths are from Reasi.
As per the daily information bulletin 5,358,412 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while 8,575 persons have been kept under home quarantine besides that 2,049 persons are in isolation.
According to the bulletin, 4,906,694 persons have completed the surveillance period and 436,561 persons are under home surveillance besides that so far results of 19,675,328 samples are available. Out of 19,675,328 the number of samples tested negative stands at 19,332,560 while as 342,768 have tested positive, among them 2,049 persons are active, 336,186 persons have recovered and 4,533 persons have die.
Meanwhile, a 26-year-old man was today arrested by Hiranagar police after he was found pasting a poster against COVID 19 vaccine.
He has been identified Gourav Sharma son of Ganesh Raj of ward no.10, Hiranagar. Police said that he has pasted posters on electric poles near Government Higher Secondary school, Hiranagar on which written as ‘Vaccines kill slowly, Do Not Get vaccinated’ and also don’t play with your child life, Boycott Vaccine’ etc.
Police said that based on the information a police team from police station Hiranagar reached to the spot, torn out the posters and lifted him from his house.
Meanwhile, underlining the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and the preponderance of asymptomatic cases, the Centre has urged nine states and union territories to ramp up COVID-19 testing to ensure that infected people do not spread the virus to others.
In a letter to Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir and Bihar, Additional Secretary of Union Health Ministry Arti Ahuja pointed out a considerable decline in COVID-19 testing amid rising cases and positivity rate and said it is a “cause of concern”.
In the absence of sufficient testing, it is rather impossible to determine the true level of infection spread in the community, Ahuja said in her letter dated January 5.
“With the increased detection of the Variant of Concern (VOC), Omicron, and a majority of countries seeing multiple surges in cases despite high levels of vaccination, there is a need for continued vigil and efforts to prevent any deterioration of the COVID-19 scenario.
“Keeping in mind the unpredictable and highly transmissible behaviour of Omicron and the larger preponderance of asymptomatic cases, ramping up testing in the initial days itself will help to ensure that the infected individual does not spread the virus to others,” she said.
It has been observed that there has been a considerable decline in COVID-19 testing in these states and union territories amid rising cases and positivity, which is a cause of concern, Ahuja said.
