Srinagar, April 10 (GNS): From the time the first COVID-19 case was announced in Jammu and Kashmir on March 09, it took about three weeks for the cases to reach 50-mark. It took the next five days for the cases to double—to cross 100—and next as many days to cross 200-mark.
From 52 reported cases by the end of last month, the J&K reached a cumulative tally of 106 cases on April 5. On Friday (April 10), the officially confirmed tally stands at 207.
Total positive cases in J&K now 207. Jammu-39; Kashmir- 168,” Principal Secretary Planning, Information and Government Spokesperson, Rohit Kansal, tweeted.
The first case in J&K surfaced on March 09 when a 63-year-old woman with travel history to Iran tested positive for coronavirus in Jammu.
On March 18, a 67-year-old woman from Khaniyar Srinagar tested positive, two days after her arrival from Saudia Arabia after performing Umrah.
As per officials, out of these 207 COVID-19-affected people, 168 are in Kashmir and 39 in Jammu. However, six of them have been discharged—three from Jammu and as many including first COVID-19 patient from Kashmir while four others have died—one in Udhampur in Jammu division and 3 in Kashmir, leaving active cases at 197—162 in Kashmir and 35 in Jammu.
On Friday, 25 samples returned positive for the COVID-19 and including two from the already infected persons, leaving the number of persons testing positive at 23—18 in Kashmir and 5 in Jammu who all are contacts of a 61-year-old woman who died due to the killer disease on April 08.
Among the 18 cases in Kashmir include four residents of Kupwara, six residents of Baramulla, one resident of Srinagar and seven persons from Kerala who were placed under quarantine by the Srinagar administration who after they were spotted last month.
“8 COVID-19 positives in Srinagar today sounds panicky but it’s not. This is a classic ‘tracing success story’. We found a group of non-locals visitors, acted fast, quarantined,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary told GNS. Another person who tested positive in Srinagar is a resident of Chattabal Srinagar and he too was a contact of the seven persons from Kerala.
Regarding 4 Kupwara cases, sources said that three samples were sent to SKIMS lab from District Hospital Kupwara and other from GMC Baramulla. While three of them are from Tangdhar, all contacts of a COVID-19 patient while other is a 25-year-old resident of Kupwara and has no travel history even though he has been working as a chowkidar at a Madrasa.
“3 positives from Tangdhar were all traced by our surveillance teams. All are asymptomatic, under quarantine at Tangdhar and are being shifted to COVID Hospital Kupwara,” Deputy Commissioner Anshul Garg told GNS. “Contact tracing is underway. We request all to cooperate to break the chain,” he added. Sources said that one of these men is a 16-year-old, 25-year-old and 58-year-old.
Regarding Baramulla cases, they said four of them are from Sopore, all contacts of a previous COVID-19 patient and are aged 35 (from Maharajpora area), 58 (from Nowpora), 25 (from Bagh-i-Rehmat) and 40 (from Ashpeer). The other two include a 36-year-old resident of Kunzar Baramulla with travel history to New Delhi and 40-year-old from Magam area of Kunzar who had returned from Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the Government said 46158 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance so far.
As per the daily media bulletin on novel coronavirus, 7726 persons have been kept under home quarantine (including facilities operated by Government) while as 415 are in hospital quarantine while 197 persons have been kept in hospital isolation.
Persons who are under home surveillance stand at 27891 while as 9925 persons have completed their 28-day surveillance period.
It said that 2961 samples have been sent for testing of which 2754 tested as negative as on 1700 hours today. 207 people have tested positive and of them, 197 are active cases—39 from Jammu division and 168 from Kashmir. (GNS)
