98-year-old woman becomes oldest victim of virus
*Deaths, cases surge in many rural areas; 4 die in Sunderbani
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 13: COVID deaths recorded slight decline in Jammu and Kashmir today with 55 persons succumbing to the virus but cases remained on higher side as 4356 tested positive. Jammu region reported 35 deaths including three noted doctors and 1771 cases.
Ninety eight-year-old woman from Digiana Camp Jammu became the oldest COVID victim in the Jammu region in second wave of the virus. She died at home and was later shifted to the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu while a 12-year-old boy from Chak Desa Singh in Kathua district, who was suffering from seizure disorder and was positive for Coronavirus, died in the GMC Kathua.
For the first time, more women died of COVID-19 in Jammu than men. Officials said out of 35 deaths reported today, 19 were females. Jammu district continued to report maximum casualties with 20 more victims today succumbing to the virus followed by six in Rajouri, three Kathua, two each Samba and Udhampur and one each in Reasi and Poonch districts.
Among three doctors who lost their battle to COVID-19 today, 51-year-old Tahir Haroon Mirza originally belonged to Rajouri district and was presently residing at Gandhi Nagar. He was posted at Emergency hospital Chowki Choura in Akhnoor and was undergoing treatment at the Command Hospital Udhampur.
Former Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Poonch Dr Mohammad Akram Malik, a resident of Surankote in Poonch district, died of Coronavirus at Narayana Hospital Katra while condition of his wife, who is also positive for the virus, is stated to be serious in the same hospital. CMO Poonch Dr Ghulam Malik today visited Surankote for burial of the senior doctor as per COVID protocol.
Dr Busharat Hussain Shah of Mendhar in Poonch district, who was an Indian System of Medicines (ISM) practitioner, also died of the virus.
Out of six deaths in Rajouri district, four were reported from Sunderbani alone.
A 31-year-old woman and another 60-year-old breathed their last at the GMC Rajouri. Both were natives of village Peli in Sunderbani. Two other deaths of Sunderbani were a 32-year-old woman and another 60-year-old. A 65-year-old man from Potha and 60-year-old woman from Saroola Manjakote also passed away because of the virus at GMC Rajouri.
Deaths in Jammu district were reported from two in Muthi and one each at Dehrian Khour, New Plots, Rehari, Gadigarh, Trikuta Nagar, Digiana Ashram, Talab Tillo, Talab Khatikan, Channi Himmat, Pouni Chak, Lower Shanti Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Rehari Colony, Trikuta Nagar, Karan Nagar and Gandhi Nagar.
Two more casualties in Kathua district were reported from Ward No. 15 and Ram Nagar while two fatalities took place at Rakh Badali and Adarsh Colony in Udhampur district. Both deaths of Samba district were reported from Vijaypur. A 50-year-old man from Gursai Mendhar in Poonch and 68-year-old from Bhambla in Reasi district also died of COVID-19.
COVID surge in rural areas was clearly visible with four deaths and 65 positive cases being reported from Sunderbani in Rajouri district in a single day while Kalakote too accounted for 46 cases, Darhal 39, Nowshera 22 and Koteranka 16, all in Rajouri district.
More significant were 89 positive cases detected today in Tikri, 56 in Ramnagar, 38 Chenani and 26 in Majalata, all in rural belt of Udhampur district.
In Poonch, 28 positives cases were reported from Mendhar, 16 Mandi, 10 Haveli and seven Surankote.
Pallanwalla, Akhnoor, RS Pura and Bishnah in Jammu, Vijaypur and Ramgarh in Samba besides several rural areas of Kathua were also reporting positive cases daily, the Health officials said.
At Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir in Kathua district, 47 new positives cases were detected today and 14 of them were travelers from Punjab, four each from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and one each from Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh besides 22 from J&K.
Among 1771 COVID positive cases detected today in Jammu region, 624 were reported from Jammu district, 282 Udhampur, 227 Rajouri, 157 Kathua, 107 Samba, 94 Poonch, 82 Doda, 80 Kishtwar, 75 Reasi and 43 in Ramban district.
At the same time, 1228 persons recovered from the virus, the maximum 723 being in Jammu district, 156 Kathua, 141 Udhampur, 97 Rajouri, 94 Reasi, 10 Ramban and seven in Poonch district.
Jammu region’s Corona cases have gone up to 89766 and active positive cases to 18946 while there have been 69488 recoveries and 1332 deaths.
Among the casualties, Jammu district has reported highest 758 followed by 114 Rajouri, 88 Kathua, 87 Udhampur, 77 Samba, 72 Doda, 51 Poonch, 37 Ramban, 26 Kishtwar and 22 in Reasi district.
The Union Territory of Ladakh today reported one COVID casualty and 243 fresh cases.
The death was reported from Leh while out of 243 new cases, 171 were recorded in Leh and 72 in Kargil.
Ladakh’s Corona count now stood at 15807 including 1547 active positives and 14102 recoveries. Death toll of Ladakh has gone up to 158—114 in Leh and 44 in Kargil.
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