PAGIR founder succumbs to virus in Leh, 114 new cases
Insp, 2 SIs among 25 cops of two PSs infected
Cardiac surgeon, Anesthesia Prof in GMC test +ve
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 8: Jammu and Kashmir today recorded single-day highest 60 Corona deaths and 4788 fresh cases. Jammu region accounted for 42 fatalities in a day and 1529 cases.
Among the dead were senior KAS officer and Special Secretary Finance Dr Shamim Ahmad Wani (who tested negative for the virus just two days before his death after remaining positive for over a fortnight), brother of former Minister, who too had died of pathogen, a 17-year-old girl from Mirpur Kathua and a 26-year-old youth of Rehari. Third woman member of a family from Jhangar Nowshera in Rajouri district succumbed to the virus during last two days.
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A prominent personality of Ladakh, Mohammad Iqbal, founding president of People’s Action Group for Inclusion & Rights (PAGIR) died of COVID-19 in Leh today. He was 53 and hailed from Shey. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur has expressed condolences over the death of Iqbal.
Dr Shamim Ahmad Wani, a senior KAS officer presently posted as Special Secretary Finance, who was under treatment for COVID-19 at the Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, died of Corona-related complications this morning.
He had tested negative for the virus two days back, doctors said.
Balwant Singh, 85, brother of former Minister Thakur Puran Singh, a resident of Biji Kewal in Rajouri district died of COVID-19 in the GMC Rajouri. However, his family denied that he died of the virus. Thakur Puran Singh had succumbed to the virus few days back.
A 17-year-old girl from Mirpur Kathua was brought dead to the GMC Kathua. She was positive for Coronavirus and also had juvenile diabetes.
A 26-year-old youth from Rehari, who was co-morbid and had COVID Pneumonia, passed away in the GMC Jammu.
A 45-year-old woman became third female victim of the virus in one family of Jhangar Nowshera in Rajouri district during last two days.
A 43-year-old woman, who happened to be the wife of Army’s Naib Subedar posted at Goa and hailing from Shama Chak breathed her last in the Military Hospital Satwari.
Meanwhile, noted Cardio Vascular Surgeon Dr Arvind Kohli in the Super Specialty Hospital and his wife, a Professor in Anesthesia Department of the GMC Jammu, both of whom were in forefront of COVID management efforts, tested positive for the virus today.
Twelve police personnel in Nowabad Police Station and two Police Posts under its jurisdiction have tested positive for Coronavirus. They include Incharge Talab Tillo Police Post Inspector Kalicharan and Incharge Canal Road Police Post Sub Inspector Ravinder Singh. SHO Nowabad Inspector Deepak Jasrotia, however, tested negative.
Thirteen police personnel from Domana Police Station including one Sub Inspector and an Assistant Sub Inspector have also tested positive. SHO Inspector Mahesh Sharma reported negative for the infection.
SSP Jammu Chandan Kohli told the Excelsior that all police personnel who tested COVID positive have been isolated. All of them were stable, he said, adding the working of two Police Stations has been confined to receiving complaints from public and deal with other emergency issues.
Majority of those who tested positive were asymptomatic, Kohli said.
Among 42 casualties in the region, 25 were women. Twenty three victims hailed from Jammu district, five Rajouri, four Ramban, three each Udhampur and Kathua and one each from Kishtwar, Poonch, Doda and Samba districts. Six of the victims had taken first dose of vaccine. Nine positive persons died at home.
Other deaths in Jammu district include three from Talab Tillo and one each from Pamposh Colony, Durga Nagar, Sainik Colony, Gandhi Nagar, Greater Kailash, Trikuta Nagar, Preet Nagar, Kali Janni, Krishna Nagar, Akhnoor, Janipur, Tange Wali Gali, Paloura, Digiana Pulli, Bathindi, RS Pura and Badyal Brahmana RS Pura.
Four fatalities in Ramban came from Dalwa Gool, Tatnihal Banihal, Sangaldan and Kanga while apart from Jhanghar Nowshera and Biji Kewal, two deaths in Rajouri occurred at Naga Thub and Peeri. Two more deaths in Kathua took place at Ward No. 8 and Marheen.
Three deaths of Udhampur were reported from Sailan Talab, Kirmoo Ramnagar and Garhi. One person succumbed to virus at Kuleed Kishtwar, Mendhar Poonch and Bhaboore Doda.
With 42 fresh casualties, the COVID toll in Jammu region has reached 1139, the highest being 636 in Jammu district followed by Rajouri 90, Udhampur 74, Kathua 73, Doda 71, Samba 68, Poonch 46, Ramban 35, Kishtwar 25 and Reasi 20.
Among 1529 COVID positive cases in Jammu region today, Jammu district remained at the top while Rajouri, Udhampur and Kathua districts continued to emerge new hotspots recording cases in three digits.
Jammu district reported 634 new positive cases, Rajouri 247, Udhampur 181 and Kathua 169 followed by Poonch 82, Samba 66, Ramban 63, Reasi 42, Kishtwar 23 and Doda 22.
Officials said nearly 60 percent cases in nine districts of the region excepting Jammu district are being reported from rural areas now. Even the mortality rate has shown considerable increase in the rural areas, they added.
Eighty three travelers today tested positive for COVID-19 at Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir in Kathua district. The majority included 20 from Punjab, 17 Uttar Pradesh, 17 Bihar and three Rajasthan besides 28 from Jammu and Kashmir. While 65 of them were sent for quarantine, 18 returned to their States after testing positive for the virus.
As against 1529 cases, 910 persons recovered from the virus today, the maximum 572 in Jammu district, 97 Kathua, 83 Udhampur, 50 Reasi, 37 Ramban, 32 Poonch, 31 Doda and eight in Rajouri district.
Apart from one casualty, the Union Territory of Ladakh today reported 114 new COVID positive cases including 89 in Leh and 25 in Kargil. New cases have taken the UT’s Corona count to 15023. Of them, 1400 are active positive cases and 13471 recoveries. Death toll in Ladakh is 152—108 in Leh and 44 in Kargil.
Meanwhile, the district Jammu administration today requisitioned 50 percent capacity of four private hospitals for use as COVID mitigation efforts.
An order to this effect was issued by District Magistrate Jammu Anshul Garg.
The private hospitals include BEE ENN Charitable Hospital Canal Road, SDDM Hospital Channi, Maitrika near Jodhamal Public School and Medicare near Auqaf Market Gandhi Nagar.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Jammu has been designated as Nodal Officer to work out further modalities to operationalize the facilities at private hospitals on need basis.
Mortality rate remains cause of concern in Jammu
COVID mortality rate remained a cause of concern in Jammu region.
Overall mortality rate in Jammu and Kashmir is 1.3 percent. It is 1.4 percent in Jammu and 1.2 percent in Kashmir.
However, during past few days, the mortality rate has surged in Jammu region as compared to Kashmir division.
Today, Jammu reported 42 deaths as against 1529 COVID positive cases while Kashmir recorded 18 fatalities but 3259 cases.
Yesterday also, 29 persons died and there were 1868 cases in Jammu while in Kashmir there were 21 casualties and 3575 positives.
Active positive cases in Jammu were 16148 while the similar numbers for Kashmir were 30387, close to double.
Out of a total of 2,11,742 Corona cases, Jammu region has reported 81262 and Kashmir 1,30,480.
There were 1139 casualties in Jammu and 1533 in Kashmir.
As many as 63975 persons have recovered from the virus in Jammu while number of the recoveries in Kashmir was 98560.
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