Govt spokesman, KU VC, NHIDCL official test +ve
EO Bhaderwah, two from IIT Nagrota, 8 BSF jawans positive
No let up in spike in Ladakh as 183 fresh cases reported
Sanjeev Pargal/ Fayaz Bukhari
JAMMU/SRINAGAR/ LEH, Apr 22: Former Minister and BJP leader Thakur Puran Singh died of COVID-19 after returning from Kumb Mela in Haridwar while 10 more persons succumbed to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir and 1965 persons tested positive today including Government spokesman and Principal Secretary Power Development Department Rohit Kansal.
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Four Corona fatalities, two of them women, and 789 new cases were reported in the Jammu region while there were six casualties and 1176 cases in Kashmir.
Former Minister Thakur Puran Singh, who represented Darhal Assembly constituency in Rajouri district from 2002-2008, had tested positive for COVID-19 on return from Kumb Mela in Haridwar and was being taken by the family members for treatment outside Jammu and Kashmir when he breathed his last. His body was brought back to Rajouri by the family members.
Additional District Magistrate Rajouri Sher Singh this morning issued an order saying that body of suspected COVID-19 positive case should be taken directly to Kewal Cremation Ground in Koteranka tehsil of district Rajouri for cremation as per the COVID protocol. Only four relatives of the deceased with PPE Kits were allowed to attend the cremation. The Tehsildar Koteranka acted as Duty Magistrate at the cremation.
Reports said Thakur Puran Singh wasn’t feeling well after return from Kumb Mela and opted for testing. He had reportedly tested positive for the virus and was taking treatment from private doctors. He was in his mid-seventies and had contested 2014 Assembly election from Darhal on the BJP mandate.
J&K Government spokesman and Principal Secretary PDD Rohit Kansal, a senior IAS officer today tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu.
“#Personal Update. After dodging the Coronavirus for the entire last year, I have tested positive today; have some symptoms—but my spirits are high. #WeShallOvercome,’’ Kansal tweeted after testing positive for the virus this evening.
Kansal’s two family members, however, tested negative.
Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Atal Dulloo has also tested negative for COVID-19. Two days back, Kansal too had tested negative.
During last three days, two IAS and one IPS officers have tested positive for the virus in Jammu.
Kashmir University Vice Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmed has also tested COVID positive.
A Jammu-based senior journalist working for a national newspaper tested positive for the virus today. A senior official and six staff members of National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) tested positive in Doda while Executive Officer of Bhaderwah Municipality and his brother posted in Agriculture Department were also found infected.
Others who tested positive today include two from IIT Jagti Nagrota, eight BSF jawans and two police constables posted at DPL Udhampur, five members of a family at Channi Himmat and seven persons at Thanna Mandi Rajouri.
A 34-year-old woman from Katra in Reasi district and an 85-year-old woman from Nanak Nagar in Jammu died of COVID Pneumonia in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu tonight, Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh told the Excelsior.
A 53-year-old man from Shastri Nagar Jammu died of COVID-19 at EMC Hospital Amritsar while 42-year-old from Kathua succumbed to the virus in Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu.
Sixty persons today tested positive for COVID-19 at Lakhanpur, the entry point to Jammu and Kashmir, in Kathua district including 16 from Punjab, four Haryana and two each Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. Twenty eight positives belonged to Jammu and Kashmir.
Twenty six tourist-cum-travelers tested positive in Reasi, mainly at Katra Railway Station.
District Magistrate Jammu Anshul Garg today declared more localities as micro-Containment Zones after COVID positive cases were reported from there.
The Zones include Kalika Colony and Gorkha Nagar in Bagh-e-Bahu Police Station’s jurisdiction, 1A South and East Extension in Ward No. 52 of Trikuta Nagar, Sectors 6, 9 and Extension 8 in Nanak Nagar, Gurha Bakshi Nagar and Shopping Centre near Bhagat Singh Chowk in Bakshi Nagar and Preet Nagar from Tent Wala Gurudwara to Tagore Public School in Ward No. 45 Gandhi Nagar.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi Ajay Kumar Sharma has also declared NHPC Quarters at Jyotipuram as micro-Containment Zone after positive cases were reported from there.
The Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University today ordered suspension of all offline classes and in-person academic activities till May 15. It said the guidelines for conducting online classes will be strictly in accordance with an already issued notification. It called for adhering to all Standard Operating Procedures and protocol in vogue for prevention and safeguard against COVID pandemic.
Among 789 persons who tested positive for Coronavirus in Jammu region, Jammu district continued to account for maximum cases at 469 followed by Udhampur 68, Reasi 51, Rajouri 45, Ramban 39, Kathua and Samba 31 each, Doda 27, Kishtwar 15 and Poonch 13.
Today, 242 persons recovered from the virus in Jammu region, 186 of them in Jammu district alone followed by 21 Kathua, 17 Udhampur, seven each Rajouri and Poonch and four in Doda district.
Jammu region now has 61990 Corona cases. Among them, 6761 are active positives while 54446 have recovered from the virus and there have been 783 casualties in the region.
Maximum 412 casualties have taken place in Jammu district followed by 64 Doda, 59 Udhampur, 57 Rajouri, 56 Kathua, 45 Samba, 29 Poonch, 23 Ramban, 22 Kishtwar and 16 in Reasi district.
The Union Territory of Ladakh today reported 183 new COVID positive cases—171 in Leh and 12 in Kargil district.
With this, the Corona count in Ladakh has gone up to 12739. The active positive cases are 1975 as 10630 have been treated.
Ladakh has 134 casualties—90 in Leh and 44 in Kargil district.
Meanwhile, Kashmir today reported 1,176 fresh cases of COVID-19 while six persons died taking the death toll in J&K to 2,092.
Vice Chancellor Kashmir University, Professor Talat Ahmad, has been admitted to SKIMS hospital Soura, days after testing positive for COVID-19. Several employees of the Varsity have also tested positive for the infection.
Talat is suffering from bilateral COVID pneumonia and was admitted to SKIMS Soura where his condition is now stated to be stable.
Dr G H Yatoo, Nodal Officer coronavirus control measures at SKIMS Soura, said that Professor Talat Ahmad was admitted around 9 p.m. last night with bilateral pneumonia. His oxygen saturation fell last night and was immediately shifted to the hospital.
In the meantime, Kashmir University’s Main Campus has been closed for two days (April 23 and April 24, 2021) as few employees of the University also tested positive.
“However, essential services staff of the university health center, sanitation, landscape wing, construction division, proctorial wing etc shall continue to perform their duties with full strength”, Registrar of the Varsity Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir said.
All the University examinations scheduled on 23-04-2021 (Friday) and 24-04-2021 (Saturday) have been postponed. “Fresh dates of postponed examinations will be notified later,” Controller of Examinations Prof Irshad A Nawchoo said here.
The district administration Srinagar today declared five more localities of Batamaloo and Hazratbal Medical Zones as Micro Containment Zones in view of detection of fresh COVID-19 cases from the areas.
Five more localities include Sheikh-Ul- Alam Colony Hyderpora, Hamdania Colony Sector 5 Bemina, Usmania Colony Bemina, HIG Colony Lane No 3 Bemina and Main Campus University of Kashmir.
The Valley reported a spike in deaths today as six succumbed to Coronavirus infection.
Those who tested positive today include 590 from Srinagar, 198 from Baramulla, 68 Budgam, 62 Pulwama, 54 Kupwara,105 Anantnag, 13 Bandipora, 23 Ganderbal, 32 Kulgam and 23 from Shopian.
With fresh cases, the number of cases in Kashmir division has reached 92,417 including 81,775 recoveries and 1,309 deaths.
The number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 16,094 including 9,333 from Kashmir division.
With 791 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 136,221, which is 88.22 percent of the total cases.
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