Woman dies of Corona, SKPA declared Red Zone
No community spread in Jammu, says Admn
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 3: An old woman from Miran Sahib became 30th Corona casualty in Jammu as 173 more persons today tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu region including another bureaucrat in the rank of Additional Secretary in Doda district, the second in last three days, six employees of a car showroom at Toph Sherkhanian, father-son and 3 of family in Jammu district, Chief Horticulture Officer (CHO) and eight more employees of private companies working for the Railways in Ramban, 3 of family in Samba all of whom were contacts of positive Axis Bank employee, six more CRPF personnel of 187 battalion in Udhampur district and two shopkeepers in Poonch City while the district administration in Udhampur declared Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA) and surroundings as Red Zone after 12 police personnel were reported positive there.
An 82-year-old woman from Miran Sahib who was admitted in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu on July 28 with hypertension, community acquired pneumonia and COVID positive died at 10 am today, GMC Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh said.
The woman was cremated at Shastri Nagar cremation ground this evening under due protocol with limited family members allowed to join last rites.
With this, COVID toll in Jammu region has reached 30 and that of Jammu district to 21. Other deaths have been reported from Rajouri and Doda districts (two each), Ramban, Kathua, Udhampur, Samba and Poonch (one each).
Jammu district recorded single day highest 72 Corona positive cases today including 52 with no travel history.
Six employees of Nexa Car showroom at Tope Sherkhanian including a girl have tested positive for the virus. Worthwhile to mention here that one of the employees of showroom hailing from Shakti Nagar had died of COVID few days back after which other employees were subjected to testing for COVID-19.
The showroom has been sealed.
Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Bakshi Nagar Amit Sharma and SHO Inspector Manjit Singh visited the spot and have contained the area.
A father and his son aged 51 and 28 tested positive in Muthi while a couple aged 41 and 39 and their 11-month-old daughter were infected in Sainik Colony. After 17 and two years old children of a family tested positive in Shastri Nagar yesterday, another four-year-old child of the family reported positive today. A woman and her daughter have tested positive in Rehari.
Over a dozen security personnel have also tested positive in Jammu district.
Other positives include 40-year-old man from Khour, 25, 30 and 44 years old men from Talab Tillo, 29-year-old from Badiyan, two youths aged 30 and 32 from Bishnah, youths from Akhnoor, Arnia and Sanjay Nagar, 24-year-old girl from Sector-5 Trikuta Nagar, middle-aged man from Muthi, an elderly man from Nanak Nagar, 30-year-old youth from Dalpattian Mohalla, 35-year-old from Sunjwan, 62-year-old from Sanjay Nagar, senior citizen from Canal Road, 35-year-old from Rehari, 27-year-old from Janipura, youth from Ward No. 25 in Rehari Colony, 21-year-old from Akhnoor and two persons aged 37 and 51 from RS Pura.
Meanwhile, the district Jammu administration in a tweet said the positivity rate amongst the contacts is certainly increasing, but uptill now, it’s not a community spread in Jammu district as the probable source of infection in almost all cases are traceable.
Citing figures of last three days, an official tweet by the district administration said 53 persons tested positive on Ist August including 24 travelers, 24 contacts of positive and five others. On 2nd August, the number was 65; 50 travelers, 11 contacts and four others while today, the number is 72; 20 travelers, 35 contacts and 17 others.
“These others are mostly patients, shopkeepers, hawkers and employees,” the tweet said, adding that in days ahead, sampling will be increased.
“Wearing mask and maintaining social distancing is the simplest & safest way to combat COVID. Stick to the basics and stay the course for a couple of more months,” the tweet further said.
Meanwhile, another bureaucrat today tested positive in Doda district, second in last three days. The bureaucrat hailed from village Ghat in Doda and is posted in the rank of Additional Secretary to the Government. He had come to his house on leave for celebrations of Eid festival with family. A day before, another bureaucrat who had come to his house in Doda town from Kashmir had reported positive.
Family members of both the bureaucrats have been isolated and sampled for COVID-19.
A Chief Horticulture Officer (CTO) was among 24 persons who tested Corona positive in Ramban district today.
The CTO hailed from Jammu and is posted in Ramban. He tested positive during random sampling.
Eight more employees of private companies working for the Railways and Highway today tested positive for the virus in Ramban district, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ramban Dr Mohammad Fareed Bhat said. Other positives of the district were tested from Red Zones and during random sampling,
Twenty four fresh Corona cases were reported in Rajouri district today including five from Kalakote, three from Danidhar, one each from Ward No. 17 in Rajouri town, Gurdhan, Darhal Malkan and Gambhir Mugala and two from Nowshera including a JKP personnel.
Eight other positives in Rajouri district were travelers.
Udhampur district reported 14 Coronavirus cases today including six more CRPF jawans of 187 battalion, whose more than 20 personnel have already been infected.
Six police personnel from the District Police Lines (DPL) Udhampur also reported positive for the COVID-19 today, District Magistrate Dr Piyush Singla said.
Two other positives of the district were an Army soldier and a contact of positive person from Ramnagar.
Meanwhile, the District magistrate Udhampur has declared Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy (SKPA) and surrounding areas as Red Zone and imposed restrictions over entry and exit. Twelve persons including 11 Probationary Sub Inspectors and a SPO have so far test positive in the Academy.
Poonch reported 13 Corona cases today including two shopkeepers from Poonch town-one each in City Chowk and Parade Market. A technician in District Hospital and a BSF jawan also reported positive in Poonch.
Eights cases of Poonch district were reported from Surankote including six contacts of positive persons and a constable of Kalal Kattal who had come home on leave for Eid celebrations.
Three members of a family of an Agriculture Officer hailing from Nonath Ghagwal, who were contacts of an Axis Bank official were among eight persons who tested positive for the virus in Samba district today, SSP Shakti Pathak said.
He added that one each soldier from ITBP and BSF, a worker from Uttar Pradesh and two civilians from Data Talab Birpur and Smailpur also tested positive today.
Of eight persons who were infected by the virus today in Kishtwar district, six were security personnel-four from Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) and one each from CRPF and CISF. Two others were contacts of positive persons hailing from Chatroo, according to Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar Rajinder Singh Tara.
Seven persons were reported positive for COVID-19 in Reasi district today. While six of them were travelers, another was a 29-year-old police constable of Ward No. 6 Kharalair Pouni, who had travel history of Kashmir.
Two migrant workers who were under administrative quarantine tested positive in Kathua district.
As per the official figures, Jammu region now has total of 4952 Corona cases. However, 2040 of them were active as 2882 have recovered from the virus.
A total of 170 Corona patients were today discharged from various COVID hospitals in Jammu region including 54 in Ramban district, 27 in Doda, 23 Rajouri, 21 Jammu, 15 Samba, 10 Udhampur, nine Kathua and one in Poonch district.
The Union Territory of Ladakh today reported 19 new Corona cases-13 in Leh district and six in Kargil taking total number of cases to 1485—649 in Leh and 836 in Kargil district while the UT now has 369 active cases—263 in Leh and 106 in Kargil.
There have been 1109 recoveries in Ladakh—382 in Leh and 727 in Kargil and seven casualties.
Of total positives in Ladakh, 44 were admitted in COVID hospitals, 135 were in home isolation, 52 in COVID Care Centres and 133 in Facility Isolation.
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