16 casualties; 41 +ve in offices, 23 in Bhaderwah jail
GMC Jammu launches Plasma Bank for COVID patients
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 1: Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has once again written to all Chief Secretaries of the States/Union Territories to ensure that there are no restrictions on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods and that no separate permission will be required for such movements even as Jammu region today reported 13 more Corona fatalities, six of them women, and 692 new cases while 1071 patients recovered. The Union Territory of Ladakh reported three casualties and 91 fresh cases today.
“There shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and foods including those for cross land-border trade under Treaties with neighbouring countries. No separate permission/approval/e-permit will be required for such movements,” Bhalla said in a letter addressed to the Chief Secretaries.
The direction, which came for the second time, assumed significance as Jammu and Kashmir hasn’t lifted restrictions on inter-State movement of individuals and commercial passenger vehicles and the people wishing to enter the Union Territory have to undergo COVID-19 tests or quarantine or had to show negative Corona test report at Lakhanpur, the gateway to J&K. For the tests, they had to wait for hours together.
Such an arrangement is not only causing hardships to the people but also badly affecting trade and industry in Jammu and Kashmir as businessmen and their representatives are reluctant to visit the UT because of mess at Lakhanpur. However, they hoped that fresh directions of the Union Home Secretary will be implemented in letter and spirit by the UT Government in its revised guidelines which are scheduled to be issued this week and will come into force from October 8.
A total of 100 persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) in Jammu district today. Among them, 41 reported positive in the Government offices including three in the office of Chief Engineer PWD Panama Chowk, one at Chief Engineer PHE BC Road, three at Chief Engineer Irrigation Canal Road, one at Mission Director ICDS Haj House, one at Director Education Muthi, four at Director Industries Udyog Bhawan, 12 at Director Accounts and Treasuries Muthi/District Fund Office, eight at MD SICOP, four at Director Handlooms and one each at Director Handicrafts, JIC office and Irrigation Office Canal Road.
The positive cases detected in rural; areas include six at Jagti Nagrota, three each at Akhnoor, Sohanjana, Kot Bhalwal and Dansal, two each at Marh and Pallanwalla and four at RS Pura.
Quite significant was the rise in COVID-19 positive cases in Jammu district which stood at 490, all locals.
While further sampling was not done today in the District Jail Ambphalla, 23 prisoners reported positive in Bhaderwah jail of Doda district. Significantly, 23 positive cases were reported from just 60 samples. Yesterday, 56 prisoners had tested positive for the virus in Ambphalla jail of Jammu. Prior to that, 41 detenues were reported infected in Dhangri jail of Rajouri. Nearly, 50 prisoners have tested positive in the District Jail Kathua.
Meanwhile, out of 13 COVID deaths in Jammu region, eight were reported from Jammu district, three in Doda and one each in Samba and Poonch district.
An 82-year-old woman from Talab Tillo and 78-year-old man from Nanak Nagar succumbed to the virus in the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu due to Coronavirus and some other ailments while a 63-year-old man from Janipura died in Narayana Hospital Katra where he was admitted for co-morbidities and COVID-19.
A 53-year-old man from Sainik Colony, 45-year-old from Subash Nagar and two 70-year-old men from Batehra and Gandhi Nagar also died of ailments and pathogen in the GMC Jammu.
Doda district today reported three more deaths including one 79-year-old woman from Bella Thathri, another 70-year-old female from Barshalla Thathri and a 75-year-old man from Doda. All of them were co-morbid and positive for pathogen.
An 89-year-old woman from Samba died in Amandeep Hospital Katra where she was undergoing treatment for COVID-19 while 70-year-old woman from Fazlabad Surankote in Poonch district died of co-morbidities and Coronavirus in the District Hospital Poonch.
The Blood Transfusion Department of the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu today started much-awaited Plasma Therapy for COVID patients. The Plasma Bank was set up and launched today with the efforts of GMC Jammu Principal Dr Nasib Chand Digra and HoD Blood Transfusion Department Dr Meena Sidhu under the guidance of Financial Commissioner Health and Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo.
Dr Adil Malik, third year Post Graduate student from the Department of Surgery GMC Jammu, who was infected by COVID-19 while performing duties and has now recovered, became first plasma donor in the GMC Jammu.
Dr Sidhu said any person aged between 18-60 years having weight above 50 kilograms who has recovered from COVID-19 infection and is free from major illness like heart, liver, lung or kidney, can donate plasma for treatment of COVID patients.
Among 20 COVID positive cases in Udhampur, eight belonged to Ramnagar which has become a hotspot leading to declaration of many Containment Zones in the tehsil, and two Government officials-one from BDO office Ramnagar and another Technical Assistant while among 22 positive cases in Ramban, the notable was the Block Medical Officer (BMO) Ukheral.
Reasi district reported 21 new Corona positive cases including three staff members of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), two police personnel, two Government employees, two Health personnel and a patient.
All 49 cases in Kishtwar and 14 in Poonch district were locals while 38 out of 39 in Rajouri and 19 of 20 in Samba were also locals.
Among 1071 patients who recovered today in the Jammu region, 466 alone belonged to Jammu district followed by 232 Ramban, 178 Rajouri, 121 Doda, 51 Samba, 11 Kishtwar, 10 Kathua and two in Poonch district.
As per the official figures, Jammu region now has 29963 Corona cases. Of them, 9550 are active while 20058 have recovered. There have been 355 Corona fatalities, the highest being 192 in Jammu district, 32 Rajouri, 31 Doda, 22 Kathua, 21 Samba, 18 Udhampur, 16 Poonch, 10 Ramban, seven Kishtwar and six in Reasi district.
Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Ladakh today reported three more Corona casualties and 91 new cases.
Of three fatalities, two were reported in Leh and one in Kargil taking death toll to 61—26 in Leh and 35 in Kargil district. Among 91 new cases, 86 were reported from Leh and five in Kargil.
Ladakh now has 4360 Corona cases including 1067 active positives while 3232 have recovered.
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