28 in Sectt, 24 J&K Bank, 21 JU, 6 in courts, 33 yatris test +ve
4 JKAS officers, SHO, PSIs, 15 cops in PTS Kathua infected
Ex-Minister, Bank employees found positive in Kashmir
Sanjeev Pargal / Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Jan 11: Jammu and Kashmir today saw fresh surge in COVID cases with 1148 fresh positives and two deaths while the Union Territory of Ladakh also showed surge with 125 persons testing positive and a man succumbing to the virus.
Jammu region today received five cases of Omicron variant.
New Omicron cases include a 40-year-old couple from Channi Himmat, who had returned from Canada on December 24 and were tested for the virus. Presently, they are admitted in the DRDO hospital.
Other Omicron positives were 32-year-old woman from Trikuta Nagar, 42-year-old man from Channi and 18-year-old boy from Canal Road. They were sampled randomly on December 21, 22 and 24 respectively.
The Trikuta Nagar and Channi patients are in home isolation while Canal Road boy has been discharged from DRDO hospital.
All five are in stable condition.
Last month, Jammu had reported first three cases of Omicron.
Number of Omicron cases in Jammu has now gone up to 8.
Jammu University today reported 21 COVID positive cases out of 335 tests conducted while Civil Secretariat recorded 28 positives from among 112 cases. Jammu and Kashmir Bank reported 24 positive cases including 16 in Zonal Office at Panama Chowk from 211 rests, five at Jaswant Plaza branch from 16 tests, two in Talab Tillo from 16 and one at Channi Himmat out of 27 tests.
In the District and Lower courts, a total of 264 officials were tested for the virus and six reported positive while two officials out of 68 tested positive in the Excise Department.
An SHO in Jammu district, two Probationary Sub Inspectors in Bari Brahmana, four cops in Sainik Colony Police Post and 11 constables in Jammu district were found infected today.
SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli told the Excelsior that a record 3000 persons have been challaned in last two days for not wearing masks with a view to enforce COVID Appropriate Behaviour.
Fifteen police constables tested positive for pathogen at Police Training School (PTS) Kathua while two more officials were found to have viral infection in DC Office Kathua taking number of total positives during last two days to 10.
Four JKAS officers including two Assistant Commissioners at district headquarters in Jammu and two at Koteranka in Rajouri district have also tested positive for COVID-19. A Tehsildar tested positive in Reasi district.
Fourteen out of 18 students in GMC Rajouri, who were found positive for the virus in Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) yesterday, today tested negative in RTPCR tests while reports of four others are awaited.
In Mendhar, two foreign travellers from Saudi Arabia and two officials from SBI Mendhar including the Manager tested positive, BMO Dr Parvaiz Khan said.
Thirty three pilgrims of holy cave shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji also tested positive on their arrival at Katra Railway Station.
A 70-year-old fully vaccinated man hailing from Sarore Kothe in Jammu died of COVID-19 and co-morbidities in Narayana Hospital Katra. Another 70-year-old partially vaccinated man from Balakote in Poonch district died in the GMC Jammu. He was also co-morbid and positive for the virus.
Two casualties have taken Coronavirus toll in Jammu division to 2221, Jammu district to 1165 and Poonch district to 102.
Among 674 fresh COVID cases in Jammu region, 301 were reported from Jammu district, 77 in Udhampur, 71 Reasi, 64 Kathua, 45 Poonch, 29 Rajouri, 26 Samba, 13 Ramban, 10 Doda and four in Kishtwar district.
As 245 persons recovered from the virus, Jammu division’s active positive cases stood at 2676.
Meanwhile, in view of surge in COVID cases, the Jammu University has postponed examinations including ongoing and scheduled.
They include all Post Graduate (all subjects–2nd and 4th Semesters), PGDBM (2nd Semester), BEd (second semester) and BSc Nursing (3rd year).
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kathua Rahul Yadav has ordered that ail outdoor shops and traders will open their premises only from 7 am to 8 pm in the district. Restaurants and Bars will open from 7 am to 8 pm with in-dining at 50 percent of total capacity for vaccinated consumers or those carrying negative RTPCR or RAT report of 48 hours prior.
Yadav also ordered that Nodal Officer Lakhanpur shall ensure at least 30 percent RTPCR sampling of incoming passengers entering through buses, cabs, taxis and tempo travellers who will continue to undergo RAT compulsory at the gateway to J&K. He also ordered closure of all Spas, Zoos etc while public transport will operate at maximum of 50 percent capacity.
Meanwhile, in the wake of recent spike in COVID pandemic and occurrence of its new variant Omicron resulting in continuous rise in positivity rate on daily basis, District Magistrate, Udhampur, Indu Kanwal Chib, today ordered urgent measures to avoid any kind of COVID-19 related flare at Patnitop tourist destination.
As per the order issued by her, all the persons who intend to visit Patnitop except day picnickers shall have to produce prior hotel booking for which he/she shall necessarily tie up with the hotel authority to obtain any proof of booking which shall be checked at Chenani Naka before proceeding towards Patnitop. Any person without valid proof of hotel reservation shall not be allowed to proceed towards Patnitop after 5 pm.
Only fully vaccinated persons and those with RAT/ RTPCR sampling report of last 72 hours coming with prior confirmed booking of hotel shall be allowed to proceed towards Patnitop. Besides, no day picnicker shall be allowed to stay in Patnitop or its peripheral areas after 04:00 PM.
The order further read that the SDM Chenani and SDPO Chenani shall constitute teams to check and ensure that no person shall be utilising vehicles for night shelter on the plea of non availability of rooms. Also, CEO Patnitop Development Authority and Sub Divisional Magistrate Chenani shall carry out awareness session/capacity building session of Hoteliers/staff so as to ensure that adequate COVID-19 related safety precautions are adhered to.
Similarly, all Hotels and Guest Houses/Lodges in Patnitop shall deploy only fully vaccinated staff in their establishments. COVID Health Cards are mandatory and shall be shown to the visiting inspection team with minimum one Covid Sampling done per month.
In the Union Territory of Ladakh, a 57-year-old man from, Thiksey in Leh district succumbed to COVID-19 at SNM Hospital Leh taking COVID toll in the UT to 222 including 164 in Leh and 58 in Kargil district.
Among 125 fresh COVID positive cases in Ladakh, 118 were recorded in Leh and seven in Kargil district. Ladakh now has 397 active positive cases—373 in Leh and 24 in Kargil.
Meanwhile, Kashmir today reported 508 cases of COVID-19 with five persons including three tourists testing positive for new variant Omicron sending alarm bells ringing across the region. Authorities closed two branches of Jammu and Kashmir Bank after 15 employees tested positive for the infection.
Former Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir tested positive for COVID-19.
Dr Mir Mushtaq, Nodal Officer Directorate of Health Services told Excelsior that five cases of Omicron were detected in Kashmir which include three non-local travellers.
He said that three among the five detected cases include three non-local travellers whose samples were taken in Anantnag and they have already returned. The travellers are a 19-year -old man and 22-year-old woman from Maharashtra and 40-year-old man from Gujarat and their samples were taken on 22nd December and 26th December respectively.
He said that one person from Shopian and pregnant lady from Dhani Syedan Uri in Baramulla also tested positive for Omicron. He said that they all have recovered. He said that contact tracing of these two persons have been started.
Authorities in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district today closed two J&K Bank branches for public dealing after 15 employees of these branches tested positive for COVID-19.
The two J&K Bank branches include TP and Main branch in main market of the district. “While contact tracing is on, some employees have been asked to undergo quarantine”, an official said.
The number of cases in Kashmir division has reached 217,357 including 212,888 recoveries and 2,335 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 4,810 including 2,134 from Kashmir division.
With 360 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 337,150 which is 97.30 percent of the total cases.
Those who tested positive include 256 from Srinagar, 94 from Baramulla, 59 from Budgam, 12 from Pulwama, 30 from Kupwara, 18 from Anantnag, 19 from Bandipora, 5 from Ganderbal, 13 from Kulgam and 2 Shopian.
In the meantime, the authorities at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura today ordered cancellation of winter vacations for faculty members.
The faculty members have been asked to resume their duties without any delay.
“In view of the upsurge of COVID-19/Omicron cases, the Winter Vacations- 2022 of faculty members of SKIMS Soura, Srinagar are hereby cancelled. All the faculty members shall resume their duties immediately, without any delay,” read the order issued by Director SKIMS Dr Parvaiz A Koul.
Koul said that the decision has been taken in view of the upsurge of COVID-19 cases to ensure adequate availability of staff at this juncture.
He said that patient care is top priority of SKIMS while putting emphasis on installation and implementation of online Payment Gateway system at SKIMS on priority to facilitate patients.
Authorities at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar ordered suspension of offline classes.
The online teaching and clinical posting shall continue as per the roster issued by the respective departments.
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