With 65 new cases, J&K sees highest single day spike as tally crosses 1000

Srinagar: Two patients admitted to SMHS hospital were among 65 people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir till Friday evening, news agency GNS reported.

The new cases mark the biggest single day spike in COVID-19 in J&K so far and have taken the number of such patients in J&K to 1048—928 in Kashmir and 120 in Jammu.

Among them, there are 524 active cases as 513—57 in Jammu and 456 in Valley—have recovered while 11 others—nine in Kashmir and two in Jammu have died.  

Officially though, the government so far has confirmed only 1,013 cases. In its daily bulletin, the administration has announced that only 30 new cases were detected in J&K on Friday.

However, news agency GNS reported that among the 65 fresh cases, 25 were reported from Kulgam, 11 from Srinagar, 10 from Ramban, six from Baramulla, four from Kathua, two each from Kupwara and Ramban besides one each from Bandipora, Pulwama, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban districts.

Quoting sources, GNS reported that Kulgam and Ramban cases, 25 in all, were confirmed at a laboratory at Army’s command hospital in Udhampur.

“All of them are travellers,” GNS report said.

Deputy Commissioner Kulgam Showkat Aijaz Bhat said that they were kept in administrative quarantine at Pulwama. He said all of them are from Chattabal Kulgam. “They will now be shifted to isolation,” he said.

CMO Kulgam Dr Fazil Kochak also confirmed that 25 cases tested positive.  

Deputy Commissioner Ramban in a tweet said: “10 more positive cases of COVID19 detected in Ramban today.”

Regarding two patients who tested positive at SMHS hospital, medical superintendent Dr Nazir Choudhary told GNS: “One patient was admitted to CD hospital and later his test came out to be negative. He was kept in separate room. His fresh test came out to be positive.”

Regarding another patient, the medical superintendent said she is a 29-year-old woman who was operated in ENT on May 8. “She was shifted to surgical ICU. Her test came positive,” he said, adding, “Many doctors, nurses and patients would now be quarantined.” Asked about the exact number, he said: “Almost 20 doctors and nurses besides the patients would now be quarantined. I have asked the concerned HOD to identify.”

Sources said that among the fresh cases is also a Chowkidar (gate keeper) at GMC. “One can imagine how many move through the gate. We will have to act quickly,” a senior doctor at GMC Srinagar said.      

Dr G H Yatoo, Nodal Officer Coronavirus control measures at SKIMS Soura said that eight out of the total samples which were processed at hospital’s viral diagnostic lab tested positive for the virus.

They include six from Baramulla and one each from Pulwama and Bandipora districts, he said.

They include 22-year-old from Pulwama, 28-year-old and 40-year-old from Mirgund Baramulla, 9-year-old boy, 11-year-old girl, 20-year-old woman and 40-year-old from Tangmarg besides 20-year-old from Sopore Baramulla while one case—23-year-old woman—is from Nadihal Bandipora. Professor Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS said almost all of them have history of travel to New Delhi and Bangalore while one case is a contact of a previous Covid-19 patient. 

Nodal officer COVID-19 control, Dr Salim Khan said that out of 655 samples processed at CD Hospital Srinagar’s Microbiology Lab, 12 came out to be positive for virus.

They included 45-year-old man from Samba, at present residing in a guest house in Rajbagh Srinagar,  29-year-old woman from Habba Kadal (admitted to Surgical ICU SMHS hospital), 38-year-old woman and 35-year-old from Ramban 35-year-old man from Udhampur, 39-year-old man from Kathua, 33-year-old man from Kishanpur Udhampur, 31-year-old from Farid Kote Punjab, 21-year-old man from Dahnagri Kathua, 38-year-old from Jodhpur Rajasthan and 31-year-old from Nowshera Rajouri. 

The government in a daily media bulletin said till date 103290 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance.  They included 26603 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 152 in Hospital Quarantine, 487 in hospital isolation and 12383 under home surveillance. Besides, 63654 persons have completed their surveillance period.

According to the bulletin, 28 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals of Kashmir Division. Four among them were discharged on Friday from Associated Hospital Anantnag. “The eldest was 85 years and youngest was 18 years old girl,” a doctor said. (GNS)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)