Srinagar: A 72-year-old man on Saturday became the sixth COVID-19 fatality in Jammu and Kashmir while fourteen new positive cases were confirmed overnight, pushing the tally in the J&K to 468. 

The septuagenarian patient from Qazipora Tangmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district died at SKIMS Bemina hospital here, making it the fifth death in Kashmir due to the novel coronavirus.

They said the elderly had tested positive for the dreaded disease earlier this month. He was admitted to hospital with pneumonia, hypertension and had other “comorbidities.”

“He was admitted to the high dependency unit. He was pneumonia, hypertensive, AF and BCH patient,” Dr Shafa A Deva, Medical Superintendent SKIMS Bemina said. S

said the septuagenarian was admitted to the hospital, one of the exclusively COVID-19 management facilities, on April 13.  “He was shifted to ICU yesterday where he died,” the doctor said.

With due compliance to the guidelines by the Ministry of Health, she said the body would be handed over to the family of the elderly man for last rites.

Meanwhile, 14 fresh cases were reported in J&K, all in Kashmir Valley, taking the number of COVID-19 patients in Kashmir to 411 and Jammu 57.

ACR Anantnag in his tweet confirmed the 14 positive cases. The officer in a tweet said: “Pushroo-1, Kutheir-3, Kharpora (Larnoo, Kokernag- Division)-10. Figures aside, just remember the boundaries are too penetrable. We can guard it only by being more responsible!”

There are now 468 positive cases and six of them have died—five in Kashmir and one in Jammu — while 109 patients recovered. (GNS)