Covid-19: Tally rises to 341 in J&K, 51 recover

Srinagar: The number of novel coronavirus cases rose to 341 in Jammu and Kashmir even as nine more COVID-19 persons were discharged; five from Chest Disease hospital Dalgate and four from SKIMS Soura on Saturday, taking the recovered patients count to 51 in J&K.

“No new cases from Jammu Division, 13 from Kashmir; Total positive cases now 341 (54 Jammu and 287 Kashmir,” tweeted Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Information and government spokesman.

Five of the cases, all from Shopian, were reported Friday evening , leaving the number of people who tested positive to 8.

Among the fresh cases include five from Bandipora and with it, the north Kashmir district has 80 COVID-19 patients, highest in all districts. Srinagar, which had no officially confirmed cases in the last few days have 78 followed by Baramulla (42), Kupwara 27, Shopian (22), Ganderbal (14), Budgam (13), Kulgam (5) and three each in Pulwama and Anantnag districts.

Regarding these five cases, sources said, they include 38-year-old from Quil Muqam who is Imam (cleric) at Gund Jahangir, one among the worst-hit cases in the Bandipora. The others include a 64-year-old man from Garoora village, two—18-year-old and 20-year-old men— from Gund Dacchan and a 25-year-old from Pathkoot. All of them are contacts of previous COVID-19 patients, they said.

Two other cases are from Shangus Nowgam area of the Anantnag and include 60-year-old and his 35-year-old daughter-in-law.

The last case is from Beerwah Budgam, a 55-year-old man who is the uncle of a policeman who tested positive for the pathogen earlier this week.

A government statement issued here informed that nine more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged. Five of them were discharged from CD Hospital Srinagar and four others from SKIMS Soura.

Meanwhile, SSP Kupwara said that samples of all police personnel from Kupwara, based on contact tracing, have also returned negative. “Quarantine measures, however, will continue,” the officer added.

There are now 341 cases in J&K. Of these cases at least 290 were added this month alone. From the time the first COVID-19 case was announced in J&K on March 09, it took about three weeks for the cases to reach 50-mark. It took the next five days to cross 100-mark, subsequent five days to cross 200-mark and few days to reach 300-mark.

From 52 reported cases by the end of last month, the J&K reached a cumulative tally of 106 cases on April 5.

Till date, the officially confirmed tally stands at 341—54 in Jammu and 287 in Kashmir. Five people have died due to the deadly infection in the J&K while 51—13 in Jammu and 38 in Kashmir divisions have recovered and discharged, leaving the active cases in Kashmir to 245 and 40 in Jammu.

Meanwhile, the government informed that till date, 60419 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance which includes 6071 persons in-home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 285 in Hospital Isolation, 252 in hospital Quarantine and 25692 under home surveillance. Besides, 28114 persons have completed their surveillance period.

It said that out of 6937 test results available, 6596 samples have tested as negative till April 18. (GNS)