1695 new cases in J&K, 50 % rise in single day

Witnessing a 50 percent jump in daily COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the upward trend of fresh infections in Jammu and Kashmir continued as 1,695 people were confirmed positive for the disease, pushing the active case load to 6242.
The union territory also reported one fresh death due to the virus in the past 24 hours.

The fresh cases were detected during targeted sampling at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Jammu where 18 staffers have tested positive, prompting the authorities to switch to online mode.

13 more staffers in the Jammu University, 10 in the district hospital Samba, few employees in Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board tested positive today.

As sources three J&K Bank branches were shut after employees at the bank branch in Mendhar, Poonch, Bishnah, Samba and also at Jain Bazar in old city tested positive.

Of the fresh cases, 812 were recorded from the Jammu division and 883 from the Kashmir division, the officials said. They said Jammu district recorded the highest of 438 cases, followed by 320 cases in Srinagar district.
There are 6,242 Covid active cases in the union territory, raising the tally to 3,48,201. The number of recovered patients was 3,37,412, the officials said. The death toll rose to 4,547 as one fresh fatality was reported in the past 24 hours, they said.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta while reviewing public health response to COVID surge in J&K, asked health and medical education department to keep sufficient stock of medicines, activate war rooms and isolation facilities.

The Chief Secretary directed immediate activation of emergency control rooms and decentralized COVID war rooms and re-activation of Panchayat level isolation facilities and COVID Care Centres to contain the rural spread of the disease. The Chief Secretary directed ramping up of testing facilities in Jammu and Kashmir to conduct over 2 lakh daily tests in the coming days while maintaining the contact tracing ratio at 1:15.

The Task Force was further apprised that under ECRP-II, all infrastructural preparations have been completed and ICU beds, oxygen supported beds, and ventilators are in a state of readiness. At present, the bed occupancy in Jammu and Kashmir is less than 10% and the medical facilities are maintaining a healthy and comfortable state.

Mehta further impressed upon the Health Department to circulate treatment SOPs for minor children and train the pediatrics staff accordingly, besides ensuring the availability of the best treatment and facilities including suitable ventilators and related machinery to this age category which has hitherto remained less affected from COVID-19.

The Task Force was apprised that Jammu and Kashmir has administered 1.94 crore vaccines to vaccinate 107% and 101% eligible population with the first and second dose, respectively. The UT is further speeding up its vaccination drive in the 15-17 age category and has already achieved 32% coverage.

The Department was directed to ensure strict enforcement of CAB, COVID SOPs, and protocols towards ensuring the highest caution and preparedness and lowest fatality. Mehta emphasized that Omicron has a growth advantage over the delta variant and as such requires ardent mitigation and containment measures from an early stage, preferably when the positivity rate breaks out the 10% benchmark.

Amid the surge in coronavirus cases due to its Omicron variant, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with chief ministers over the COVID-19 situation on Thursday.

Fresh curbs have been imposed in various parts of the country to check the spread of the highly transmissible virus.

The prime minister will interact with the chief ministers on the COVID-related situation on Thursday at 4:30 PM via video conferencing, official sources said.

Reviewing the Covid situation at a high-level meeting on Sunday, Modi had called for ensuring adequate health infrastructure at the district level and accelerating the vaccination drive for adolescents in mission mode.

The precaution vaccination drive for healthcare and front-line workers besides those over 60 years of age with comorbidities has also started.

Vaccination remains among the most effective means to fight Covid, Modi had said.
The PM had said that a meeting with the CMs be convened to discuss state-specific scenarios, best-practices and the public health response.

The prime minister has held numerous meetings with chief ministers to spearhead India’s response to the disease since its outbreak in 2020.

India added 1,94,720 new coronavirus infections taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,60,70,510 which includes 4,868 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

The active cases have increased to 9,55,319, the highest in 211 days, while the death toll has climbed to 4,84,655 with 442 fresh fatalities, the data updated at 8 am Wednesday stated.